Fated to Love You
by sumthinblu
Summary: Naruto just returned from his three-year training trip with the toad sannin. Hinata feels ecstatic. She couldn't wait to spend time with him now that he's officially back. And yet, she often wonders to herself, why she is trailing along with Uchiha Sasuke, of all people, on his way to accomplishing his goal.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Had it been mine, the ending would've turned out differently.

...

It was nearing midnight and yet the sounds of palms hitting a post could still be heard. Frustrated grunts and finally a defeated sigh broke into the silence of the night. One exhausted Hyuga Hinata laid next to a well-beaten post with her eyes closed.

 _Still not strong enough_ , she thought. In her mind, she could see how Kiba and Shino have improved a lot over the years. Their team has become one of the most sought after when it came to reconnaissance missions. Each member of the cell has its own unique abilities and skills. For that main reason why the team has been consistently successful in every mission they undertake.

But she couldn't shake off the feeling that she will always be the weakest link to their team. When enemy nins target her, either Kiba or Shino goes to try to help her while fending their respective enemies at the same time. They didn't comment on it and neither does Kurenai-sensei but she can't help but feel like a burden sometimes. Hence her current predicament. Almost every night, she tiptoes out of the Hyuga compound to train until dawn. Only Neji, her cousin and Koh, her childhood guardian know about this little secret. At first, they forbid her but over time, her stubbornness won them over.

It has been almost three years since Uzumaki Naruto left the village to train. Almost three years of not seeing her inspiration, Hinata missed him a lot. "I wonder how he is," she mumbled. "Have you become stronger too, Naruto-kun, just like the rest of the Rookie 9?" she added with a thoughtful sigh. "Oh, but I'm sure you have," she giggled slightly, face becoming a little red just thinking about her longtime crush.

Finally, she stood up and dusted her pants. She brushed away the stray hair that clung on the sides of her face. Puberty has been kind to Hinata. While seemingly oblivious at her outward appearance, mainly due to her insecurities with her skills as a kunoichi, other people have started to notice her more than average beauty and figure. Long, straight dark hair swished as she jumped unto a tree branch and started her trek back to the Hyuga compound.

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Quietly, she crept back into the compound and ran as lightly and swiftly as she could praying she won't be able to alert a few Hyuga shinobi assigned to patrol their compound. As she was nearing her room, she breathed a sigh of relief and finally walked towards where her room is.

"I almost haven't noticed you, Hinata-sama," a quiet voice told her from behind.

"Ah, you scared me Neji-niisan. Sorry for interrupting you. And I'll try my best to mask my chakra next time. How was your last mission, by the way?" Hinata asked in concern. She looked at her cousin worriedly, seeing a few scratches and bruises marring his once perfect skin. While proud at knowing her cousin has become a member of the ANBU, she couldn't help but feel worried every time Neji is sent on ANBU missions.

"There's nothing to worry about Hinata-sama. The mission was successful and everyone in the team has safely arrived. There was a slight run-in with a few Kiri missing nins while on our way home though but they were quickly overpowered. Hmm, I just remembered, those missing nins were quite weakened too." He told he this with a slight frown on his face. Suddenly, looking like a new thought just occurred to him, he added, "They probably had a fight before they encountered us."

"That reminds me, you should really stop this nightly training. You're a great kunoichi and one of the best medic nins of our generation. What you simply lack is confidence and your hesitation to kill the enemy." Neji looked at her seriously and realizing he has said too much in the span of a few minutes, he decided to keep silent after that. Intelligent eyes continued studying her tired profile.

"Ah, that's really nice of you Neji-niisan but I have to disagree with you though. I know my skills aren't on par with my team but I'm grateful for the good words," she told her cousin earnestly. Neji huffed and decided this debate won't really end. So with a sigh, he bade her good night and walked in the direction of his room. Just after taking two steps though, he winced and paused slightly so as not to injure further his bad leg.

"Ahh, niisan, are you alright? Gomen for not taking a look at your injuries earlier niisan but here, let me see t-that," Hinata panicked and approached him suddenly. Her stutter at the end meant she was truly troubled at her cousin's current condition.

"No need for that Hinata. This isn't serious and besides the Hokage already made sure that I have my injuries checked before dismissing me," Neji told her grudgingly. She gave a slight smile at that. Really, her niisan is probably more stubborn than her. Her cousin scowled upon seeing her reaction but decided to keep quiet.

"Well, if you say so." Hinata gazed at her cousin, her face still looking slightly worried. She simply shook her head and gave him a slight nod and a smile.

"You really should sleep now. I believe you have hospital duties tomorrow, right?" Her cousin reminded her.

Hinata slightly colored at that statement upon remembering her last stint at her previous shift at the hospital few days ago. "Hai niisan. Well, good night and you have a good rest too," cheeks coloring a bit more, she bade her farewell and quickly walked towards her room. Neji simply shook his head after hearing the closing of a sliding door.

 _I wonder what happened back there. Really, his cousin acts weirdly sometimes. No, scratch that, most of the time, if I were to be honest,_ thought Neji as he silently went to his own room.

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This is gonna be a multi-chapter SasuHina story. Next chapter will be posted soon and Sasuke will make an appearance!


	2. Chapter 2

...

She was running late. Her shift started just a minute ago but she was still on her way to the hospital. _Ah, crap!_ She doesn't really curse out loud but what runs through her mind is quite different from what comes out of her mouth. Giving a slight pause from her constant leaping from building to building, she heaved a sigh and looked towards the Hokage monument.

Konoha was indeed a sight to behold especially during sunrise. Villagers have started to get busy below and Hinata smiled upon seeing them. Truly, this was the reason why she wanted to become a kunoichi; to protect Konoha and its villagers. But more than that, she wanted to care for the sick and the injured.

As a child, it was her dream to become a healer. However, being part of the Hyuga main branch decided to vanish that dream for her as she grew older. Nonetheless, while her father was bent on trying to make her into a formidable kunoichi, Hinata was secretly studying the different healing scrolls found inside their compound's library and at the scrolls stashed at the Konoha Library. So when her Naruto-kun came back with Senju Tsunade one day a few years ago, her diminishing dream came back full force.

No one really knew that this was her passion. She feels confident and passionate when tending to the sick. The healing creams she used to make as a child were now being used all around Konoha to heal slight burns and wounds. So when Senju Tsunade became Hokage and offered apprenticeship to Naruto's teammate, Haruno Sakura, she decided then and there that it's time making her dreams come true too.

The road to becoming a great medic for Hinata surely wasn't an easy one. There were obstacles of course. One big obstacle was her father. He was adamant on forbidding his daughter take on a medical apprenticeship under the new Hokage. He was sure that being a medic doesn't really suit a Hyuga from the main branch.

But when does Tsunade ever listen to an uptight man like Hyuga Hiashi? Seeing the young kunoichi's spirited determination, she decided to train Hinata along with Sakura. A few months into training the two girls, Tsunade found out just how useful the Byakugan could become once applied into medical ninjutsu. The Byakugan's ability to see through the chakra pathways of the human body is definitely a great aid when it came to locating a person's specific wounds and healing them in a faster and more effective way.

So while Hyuga Hinata slightly failed at making use of the Jyuuken in defeating enemies, it was the opposite when it came to being a med nin. She excelled in that aspect; Tsunade was sure of that.

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Uchiha Sasuke slowly rose from his bed with a grunt. He had that nightmare, again. It was always the same ever since his brother murdered everyone from his clan, except himself. Looking around, he located his usual training clothes which consisted of a high-collar grey top with the Uchiha fan symbol at the back; chest slightly exposed, another loose dark clothing just above the purple belt which resembled mostly that of an Otogakure nin, loose Shinobi pants and black sandals.

His muscles started to protest with his sudden movement. Orochimaru was not a sympathetic sensei, not like his previous pervert of a sensei in Konoha. He was pushed to his limits in every training session he undergoes. While it was difficult when he was just starting at first, a few weeks of continuous rigorous training made him aware that this will be the kind of training for the next few years. But it's not like his complaining. This is exactly what he needs to finally fulfill his promise of killing his brother.

"How do I measure to you now, Niisan?" Sasuke mumbled to himself. His regular training with the snake sannin vastly improved his skills and endurance. He may not like his sensei but he knows he won't be up to par with his current skills had he decided to stay in Konoha. Thinking about Konoha and his brother made him think of his previous bonds with his team. The dobe in particular weighed mostly in his mind.

I bet you're still the same old dobe as you were before, Sasuke thought with a grimace. While he wasn't at all that sorry for almost killing the only person he considered as a friend, he was quite glad he didn't end up killing him. He doesn't really know what happened to his friend after their fight at the valley but he was sure Naruto didn't end up dead. Truthfully, he didn't really have any knowledge on the current events in Konoha except for a few snippets his current sensei ever shared to him during their regular sparring sessions.

"And that's where we are different Niisan. I will choose how to become stronger. I may not be at your level now but a few more practice and mastering the use of the cursed seal and I will be ready to finally be rid of you," he muttered darkly. Deciding to stop his thoughts and where they might lead him, he opened the door of his room and silently walked towards where they normally train.

His footsteps echoed as he walked on the narrow tunnels of what could only be assumed as part of Otogakure. Nearing his destination, he was surprised to see Yakushi Kabuto standing at the center of the training room, a weird smile plastered on his pale face and seemed to be expecting him.

"So good to see you Sasuke-kun. Unfortunately, Orochimaru-sama is quite sick at the moment and may not be able to spar with you," Kabuto pleasantly told him, his tone of voice not really quite well-suited with the dark aura surrounding the room and the person he was speaking to. But that's just Kabuto, he seems to be always secretly amused with anything on his mind, Sasuke noticed.

"Well, not much to do here for you, I guess. You'd better do something else while I go and check at something at the laboratory. Ja ne!" Kabuto's smile further stretched at the thought of going to the experiments.

Left with nothing to do, he walked towards the center of the room, sat down and started meditating.

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Chapter 2 done. Thanks anne12fink for the review!


	3. Chapter 3

...

It was late in the afternoon and Hinata was finally done with her shift. She was going to the direction towards the exit of the hospital with her fellow medic, Haruno Sakura. Silently assessing her current patient's diagnosis on her mind, the pink-haired medic broke her thoughts.

"That baka! I shouldn't have been more lenient to him. I was so sure I was going to punch him the next time he opened that dirty mouth of his," grumbled Sakura, recalling her rude male patient. Her face starting to resemble the color of her hair.

"Eh, but that would defeat the purpose of healing his injuries, Sakura-chan." Hinata innocently spoke to her companion. Pausing slightly to see a small commotion happening near the exit door, Hinata craned her neck to see Shizune running towards them and ignoring the protests of a few passersby.

"I know but… " Sakura replied to her angrily, her mind still focused on her patient once again, but paused, finally noticing Shizune heading towards their direction. In front of them, Shizune bent her knees a little and took a huge gulp of air. Looking at them, more to Sakura's direction really, Shizune managed to form her words that may actually have different effect towards the two female medic nins.

"Good afternoon Sakura, Hinata" she nodded to them. "Tsunade-sama wanted to inform you that your teammate has just arrived and is on his way to the Hokage tower", she added while taking another lungful of air, clutching Ton-ton tightly with both her arms.

Both girls seized their previous thoughts and focused on what Shizune had just told them. While the two stood silently and quite shocked with the news, each had different persons running through their mind. While Sakura's thoughts immediately clung to the memories of her longtime crush, Uchiha Sasuke, forgetting for a moment that she actually had another teammate absent from Konoha for quite sometime too, Hinata's thoughts solely rested on the blond-haired shinobi.

"Naruto-kun", was only Hinata's thought. Years of not seeing him made her heart palpitate and the sudden desire to faint any moment now has started to happen once again. Though it wasn't all that obvious to everyone who knew Hinata that she was unaffected by Naruto's absence, Neji would have a different opinion on the matter. He was probably the only one of Hinata's close friends who has an idea just how much his cousin missed Uzumaki Naruto. While they knew her stuttering was gone, along with the twiddling of her fingers, Neji is aware that it was due to the absence of his once-hated opponent during the Chunin exams.

Sakura's exuberant reply of "What are we waiting for, let's go then!" broke Hinata's train of thoughts and took two steps forward dragging along her companion.

"Ehh, I didn't know you were that excited of Naruto-kun's return, Sakura-chan" came Shizune's lightly teasing tone. The older nin then added in a more conspiratorial tone, "Ah, but it's been years since you last seen him, ne? I'm sure Naruto-kun would really love to see your reaction now," then proceeded to wink at her direction. She's quite aware of Naruto's crush to the pink-haired kunoichi.

Sakura came to a sudden stop and her lively demeanor suddenly vanished only to abruptly come back once again. Smiling widely though eyes not as bright as before, Sakura replied, "What are you talking about Shizune-san? Of course I'm excited in seeing that baka once again. We're teammates after all."

"Well, I doubt Naruto would stay longer at the Hokage tower knowing how that guy doesn't seem to enjoy staying at one place for long. Let's go Shizune-san, Hinata-chan!" Sakura, with her superhuman strength, managed to drag both females along and started their trek towards the Hokage tower.

"Welcome back Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered, face red and shy demeanor threatening to come back once again as they continue their trek to where Naruto and the others are currently in.

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"Baa-chan!" came a shout near the window of the Hokage tower.

"Ugh, Naruto! What have I ever told you about using the proper entrance when coming here?" Tsunade told him, voice just as loud as the young shinobi. Sensing another person behind the blue-eyed shinobi, she added, "And here I was hoping you won't get Jiraiya's poor taste and manners." She was tempted to open her drawer where she secretly stashed a bottle of sake at the thought of dealing with her two favorite boisterous shinobi. Oh, but how she was truly glad to see them once again, she thought. She realized just how much she missed both male nins now that she finally laid eyes to both of them.

"That hurts Hime. And here I thought you'd at least give me a warm hug to welcome me back to the village," came Jiraiya's reply, eyes straying to the blonde hokage's voluptuous figure, his face starting to become leery, which Tsunade is all too familiar with.

A chair was promptly thrown at the white-haired sannin's direction almost knocking Naruto just as he came to approach his baa-chan.

"Geez baa-chan, would you stop that. You'll be getting a few wrinkles if you keep doing that, you know. Plus we're quite tired from traveling; give us some time to relax..." Naruto winced just as the chair was slammed to the opposite wall with a loud thud. The blond-haired hokage's scowl deepened as Naruto continued his insults, oblivious to the woman's darkening aura. Face almost split from grinning widely and face turning brightly, Naruto quickly added, "Man, I miss everyone! How's Sakura-chan and Kaka-sensei? Ah, that reminds me, Iruka-sensei promised a bowl of ramen when I return!"

She's fond of the him but Tsunade had to wonder just how fast Naruto's train of thoughts could become. Really, the boy's head is capable of coming up with incredulous and sometimes stupid ideas in a short span of time. She couldn't help but give a tired sigh and see her deceased little brother Nawaki in him.

Just as she was about to scold Naruto, a knock came at the door and without any pause, the door opened revealing Shizune with two female nins just a few steps behind her. Shizune entered, followed by Sakura and trailing behind her, a red-faced Hinata shyly peeking at the people currently residing inside the room.

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The sudden movement at the door made Naruto forget what he was about to say next. Catching pink hair in his peripheral vision, he paused and seemed to breathe slowly as Sakura finally came into view. With a deep pang of longing he never knew existed within him until now, he whispered, "Sakura-chan, how have you been?"

Turning to his direction, Sakura faced him with a smile and said, "It's been a while, ne, Naruto." Remembering her companions on the way to the hokage tower, she promptly added with a scowl, "Hey, I'm not the only one who entered here baka, say hello to Shizune-san and Hinata-chan too!"

"Ah! Gomen Shizune-san and Hinata-chan! How are you both?" came Naruto's quick reply, earning a nod of approval to Sakura.

The shy Hyuga followed Sakura and came to stand beside her. At the mention of her name from her crush, she stuttered a reply, "I-I'm fine, N-Naruto-kun," then shyly added, "I'm g-glad you're back." Biting her lip to stop the sudden feeling of wanting to faint, she hesitantly gazed at Naruto and finally noticed his appearance and his change of clothing. You've really grown to become a fine shinobi Naruto-kun, she thought before darkness came to envelope her and knew no more.


	4. Chapter 4

...

Uchiha Sasuke grunted as a painful blow landed near his stomach courtesy of Orochimaru. Clutching the right side of his torso, he landed gracefully on the floor and prepared to make a counter attack at his opponent.

"I think that's enough for today Sasuke-kun. You could have dodged my last attack had you been paying close attention. You seem distracted," Orochimaru voiced his curiosity pleasantly while looking at him the way a predator would look at his prey.

"Hn," Sasuke closed his eyes and began to sheath his sword. Not giving a reply, he turned his back and started to make his exit when Orochimaru stopped him.

"A word, Sasuke-kun," the snake sannin stared directly into his Sharingan eyes. "I'll be busy for the next few days so I may be unable to train you. I'll be asking Kabuto-kun to supervise your training instead."

"Tch. I have no use for your assistant. I can train on my own without his help," Sasuke decided he was done conversing with the sannin and finally left the training room.

"Kukuku. You seem so confident Sasuke-kun. Ah, but I'm not complaining. Taking over your body will be easier this way," Orochimaru smirked and finally turned his attention to the man who has been masking his presence until recently.

"I agree Orochimaru-sama, though his improvements are certainly astounding, I'll give him that. At the least, his confidence isn't misplaced," the white-haired male replied to his master and adjusted his spectales. Clearing his throat, he added, "Preparations have begun Orochimaru-sama. By the end of the week, you may be able to take Sasuke-kun's body for your own."

"Well done Kabuto!" Orochimaru laughed succinctly but stopped as his chest started heaving.

"You're still quite weak. You should have let me train him instead," Kabuto told him.

"Don't worry about it Kabuto-kun. This is simply a temporary phase I may experience for a while before I can finally take over Sasuke-kun's body. Imagine the Sharingan at my own disposal. Soon, I'll be the strongest immortal shinobi in the Elemental Nations," the sannin smirked darkly.

"Hai Orochimaru-same, I'm sure you will be," was his assistant's pleasant reply.

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 _Where am I_? thought Hinata as she stared at the ceiling and trying her best to remember the reason for her current predicament.

"Oh good, you're finally awake Hinata-san," Shizune approached the younger girl and touched her forehead. "You gave us quite a scare there, you know. I'm glad you're alright. Does this happen often?" she asked with a hint of concern.

"Ah, Shizune-san!" Hinata smiled weakly at her and finally remembering why her fainting decided to come back, her cheeks started to grow hot once again. _Naruto-kun! This is the first time in years since I've seen him and I fainted right in front of him. He must probably think I'm so weak!_

"A-Ano Shizune-san, but how long have I been here?" Hinata voiced her concern. Standing, she noticed it's already dark outside. _I must have been out for quite some time then._

"Well, Tsunade-sama and the others went out a few hours ago. Naruto-kun and Sakura-san were asked to spar against their sensei, Hatake-san," Shizune answered her. Smiling slightly upon recalling the blonde shinobi's reaction after Tsunade requested they test him and Sakura's improvements over the years. She'd never seen Naruto so confident before.

"I see," Hinata replied silently. Aware that the older female was now studying her profile, Hinata plastered on a smile and said, "Eh, really! I'm sure Kakashi-sensei will be having a harder time against them than before." _I'm sure they've both improved a lot. Naruto-kun especially seems to have really improved his skills._ Hinata then remembered her fellow apprentice's superhuman strength and was now comparing herself to Sakura in despair.

Upon seeing a defeated aura on the Hyuga heiress and already realizing that she's probably comparing about her own strength with the others, Shizune decided to brighten her spirits by patting on her shoulder and giving her a light squeeze, "You may not see it for yourself, Hinata-san but you have improved vastly. Tsunade-sama has been very vocal with your skills as a med nin and she's really proud to call you her apprentice."

"R-Really Shizune-san!? " her disbelieving tone made Shizune smile at her fondly and Hinata received a nod.

 _You're a sweet girl, Hinata-san. One day, you'll be proud of your abilities and see for yourself just how much you have improved._ "Of course, Hinata-san!" Shizune replied amiably.

"A-Arigatou for taking care of me Shizune-san! Ano, I think I should really go now though. I must have taken a lot of your time today," the Hyuga heiress bowed her head at the other girl and giving Shizune a bright smile and a wave, she exited the Hokage tower and started going to the direction of the Hyuga compound. _I must train harder so I can catch up to you one day, Naruto-kun!_

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Exhausted from his training earlier, Sasuke lazily lay on his bed, one arm propped behind his head and started contemplating. _It seems Orochimaru's weakened state has worsened. At this rate, he'll no longer be of use to me. I'm sure that at this level, I can finally act upon my vengeance against you, Itachi. But first, I need to gather a team that will help me in finding you._ Sasuke frowned as he pondered on the identities of the particular individuals who can aid him in his mission. Lately, his thoughts started to revolve around his brother, hence getting distracted a few times when sparring with the snake sannin. He can't really wait to shove a sword right through his brother's chest and make him feel the kind of pain and misery he's been experiencing for so many years now.

Sighing to himself, he sat down on the edge of his bed and mulled over his future plans. Thoughts of his brother somehow seemed to extend to his former home, Konoha. The remainder of his years staying there, he never thought of other things other than thinking of ways on how to extract his revenge upon his brother. _But once I achieve my lifelong goal, what should I do next?_ Trying to recall his introduction to his former team, Team 7, he realized that he wanted to revive his clan. _Hn, that was probably harder than I originally thought. Will I even be welcomed back?_ Remembering his battle with his friend, he knew then that while he may not be welcomed with open arms with the others, the dobe will probably insist on letting him stay in Konoha for the remainder of his life.

Sasuke smirked to himself. _Of course, that dobe will do his best in keeping me stay there, along with Sakura and Kakashi. Now on to my plan, I probably should get out of here soon and kill Orochimaru while still weakened. This is my probably my best chance at defeating him. It's not like I'll allow that creature to take over my body._ Sasuke sardonically smiled at that. _You_ _always failed at reading me, Orochimaru._

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Chapter 4 done! Next chapter will be posted soon!


	5. Chapter 5

...

"NANI!" came an angry shout. Birds on the nearby window from where the voice originated scattered and flew away hastily.

Tsunade rubbed her temples, a headache starting to form already. "Quiet down, Naruto!" She slammed her hands on the table angrily, papers flying everywhere. "Like I said, the Sand Village came to ask for help. We may be able intercept the Akatsuki members who captured the new Kazekage if I can send the right people now."

"Send me then!" was the blonde male's abrupt reply. "I was trained by Ero Sennin for this. I think it's time we show Akatsuki just who they're messing with." Naruto looked at her seriously and Tsunade considered what he may have said is right.

"Fine but you'll be going with your team. I think you should start working as a team once again with your former teammates. Shizune, alert Kakashi and Sakura and tell them to come here at once!" The raven-haired female nin nodded her head and made her exit.

"Right away Tsunade-sama," was Shizune's reply.

"Now Naruto, listen to me. I know that your training has done wonders for you but dealing with Akatsuki isn't something to be scoffed at. Remember, these are highly-skilled shinobi who won't hesitate to kill anyone who gets on their way. Be careful and listen to your team leader, Kakashi." Tsunade eyed Naruto seriously and made sure that her words of warning were clearly delivered to him. "Am I clear?"

"Hai baa-chan," Naruto, noting the seriousness of Tsunade's voice bit back an angry retort and decided to take her words calmly. He was starting to shift his feet alternately seemingly wanting to start this rescue mission as soon as possible. _Gaara, just hang on, we'll be coming for you._ Naruto angrily thought of how unfair the world could really be. Just as Gaara started changing for the better and doing good deeds for his village, he was kidnapped and may soon die if they extract the demon sealed within him. _I can't let them..._ His train of thoughts stopped as he heard a series of footsteps approaching the room.

"Yo," the Copy Cat nin offered a lazy salute to the Hokage and gave Naruto an eye smile. Taking in the serious atmosphere of the room, Kakashi decided now wasn't the time to open his perverted book in front of everyone.

"Good, you're all here now. Kakashi, I'm assigning you to lead your team and make sure you carry out the objective of this mission successfully. Sakura, they need a capable medic to heal the Kazekage's brother. For some reason, they can't find an effective cure for the poison found in the body and the patient's condition has been getting worse. I have my faith in your abilities as a medic. I'll be sending another team as your backup once they arrive. You can all go now," Tsunade ordered them.

A chorus of "Hai!" was heard. Tsunade nodded and stared at them impassively. Once the three were out of the room, she muttered a silent prayer for their safe return then turned her attention to her assistant, "Shizune, I need you to contact Jiraiya immediately. Inform him to come at once. There are a lot of things he needs to tell me concerning Akatsuki." Her faithful assistant gave her a brief nod and went to fetch the toad sannin. Alone in the room, Tsunade opened her drawer, drank her sake in one huge gulp and sighed. _Really,_ _I'm too old to be dealing this kind of stuff._

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"Oomph," Hinata managed to block the incoming attack; uncrossing her arms in front of her, she jumped a few paces back and studied her opponent. Settling in the form the Hyuga clan is famously known for, she faced her teammate and activated her Byakugan.

"Well done, you two. I think we should stop now. You've been sparring for more than an hour already," Kurenai told her students. "Both of your Taijutsu have improved well," she smiled warmly at them. "But next time, you should be aware of your surroundings Kiba, not just at your opponent, hence why Hinata was able to make use of distracting you with a few things around this forest. Hinata, while I can see that you didn't hesitate on attacking Kiba, I noticed you aren't using much of your lower body compared to how much you seem to make use of your arms." She then turned her attention next to her other student who was probably conversing with his bugs, "I can see that your control of your kikai bugs has been so much better Shino. I'm really proud of you three."

"Arigatou Kurenai-sensei," Hinata replied, cheeks starting to feel warm at the unexpected praise. "A-Ano Kiba-kun, let me heal your bruises." She approached her boisterous teammate and hovered over the form who was sitting on the grass, his ninken lazily sprawling beside him.

"No need for that Hinata-chan! This is nothing, I'm sure I'll feel better in a while," Kiba loudly proclaimed while giving his female teammate a huge grin. "Besides, we haven't seen much of you these last few weeks. You've been so busy attending to your patients at the hospital I'm starting to think you're abandoning your team. I think we should have dinner together just like what we used to do during the old days!" Kiba suddenly stood up and faced his team. "What do you think guys?!"

"Ehh, but I'll never abandon you Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, Kurenai-sensei." Hinata fidgeted and started twiddling her hair with her fingers. "A-ano, it's just that it's been so busy at the hospital these days and the lack of staff prompted us to extend our shifts. Sakura-san was sent on a mission too so I've been tending to a few her patients temporarily."

"Heh, I was only teasing you Hinata-chan," Kiba ruffled his teammate's head and gave her a fond look. Hinata is probably the only female who knows this soft side of his, apart from his mother and sister. _Damn, Naruto is lucky to be on the receiving end of his teammate's affection. She's one of the sweetest and kindest persons he knows. And lately, he couldn't help but appreciate her beauty and gentle charm. Certainly, he's not the only male who noticed this. Ugh. Don't go there._ Shaking his head and clearing his throat, he added, "But I'm really serious about going to dinner as a team. What do you say!?"

Adjusting his glasses, Hinata's other teammate, Aburame Shino faced the others, "I agree. I think we should all go out for dinner together. Why? Because it's only logical that as a team…"

Kiba interrupted his teammate and shouted his glee, "Yosh! It's all agreed then, what do you say Kurena-sensei?" Kiba turned to their beautiful team leader.

"That would be lovely. Yes, let's all go. I've been meaning to have dinner with you three but our schedules never managed to coincide these days. I missed our regular dinner outings as a team, you know." Kurenai smiled at them. "Alright, where do you suggest we go, Hinata-chan?"

"Ahh, can we try the newly opened barbecue stand? Ino-chan and her team went there last week and told me their food was great," Hinata suggested shyly. Noting her team's agreement, she beamed up at them and started their walk towards the food stand. She truly missed days like this, just her and her team. Its days like this that she feels happy and contented. Spending time with her three teammates was something she really enjoyed, especially on days when her hectic schedule at the hospital seems to become too much to handle plus the constant issues that normally happen within the Hyuga clan. Looking at the beautiful moonlight, she slowly patted Akamaru's head who went to walk beside her. "How have you been Akamaru?"

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Nara Shikamaru was bored. Next to him, his blonde teammate continued her loud tirade about fashion and things he really wasn't interested in. Yawning loudly, Shikamaru stretched his legs and positioned his body for a nap.

"Hey, were you even listening to me Shika? Geez, so anyway, I saw this cute top and decided to buy it. Just as I was about to grab it, there was this woman who…" Ino ranted not giving the others on the table a chance to speak up. Choji simply nodded his head while eating his barbecue. He knows that when Ino is on a roll, it's best to let her be. Their sensei, Sarutobi Asuma simply smiled at them and pretended to pay attention to Ino's tirade while looking at the moon outside. Noticing the approaching figures, he brightened a little upon recognizing the people, particularly the beautiful woman who decided to join them for tonight.

"Look who decided to join us," he told his team. Giving enough room for the incoming team to join their table, he nudged Shikamaru to move a little bit on the side since the lazy Nara has been occupying the biggest space. "Hey there, you guys!" Asuma gave a light wave and pointing his finger at their table, he added, "There's more room for you here, why not share a table with us."

"Troublesome," was the Nara's reply but moved nonetheless. He knew of Asuma's secret relationship with Team 8's sensei but figured not to share this knowledge to anyone. _Geez, it's not like it's my business. They can do what they want since they're both adults. I'm just curious why keep their relationship a secret. It's more troublesome in my opinion._

"Hello, Shikamaru-kun," a shy voice was heard next to him. Opening his eyes, Shikamaru faced the new person now sitting beside him. "Hi Hinata-san, how are things at the hospital?" he drawled lazily.

"Ano, i-it's been quite busy since Sakura-chan isn't around but it's alright," Hinata answered and decided to greet the rest of Team 10.

"So, what are you ordering?" Asuma's voice was heard amidst the other voices amongst their table.

"What do you suggest, Asuma-san?" Kurenai amiably asked him and gave him a warm smile. Not noticing two pairs of eyes studying the couple, Kurenai continued her pleasant conversation with the male jounin.

"S-Shut up Kiba!" Ino reddened and scowled at the person to her left. "Can you stop your pestering? Geez, I wonder who's more annoying, you or Naruto." Beside her, Kiba was shaking with mirth and laughed loudly but at the mention of the blonde's name, Kiba straightened and glared at the Yamanaka.

"What?! Don't compare me to that idiot, Ino. He may have improved a lot but he's still the same oblivious idiot," was Kiba's angry retort.

"Ehh, it's like the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it Kiba?" Ino smirked at him with superiority. Noticing her seatmate's lack of answer, she turned her attention to the person across from her and asked, "Isn't that right, Hinata-chan?"

"Ah, that's quite mean Ino-chan. Kiba-kun and Naruto-kun are w-wonderful people. I wouldn't call them that," was the Hyuga's gentle response.

"Ha, see that Ino! Thanks Hinata-chan. You're the best!" Kiba's eyes alighted and gave his teammate a huge grin. Once the food arrived, everyone settled into exchanging pleasant conversations. A few arguments broke out but every person at the table definitely enjoyed the night. This kind of occurrence happens rarely in every shinobi and kunoichi's busy and dangerous lives they live. The light aura surrounding the table was a good change and they cherish special moments like this, not really sure of the next time they get to have fun and bond with their friends and comrades.

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Done with the 5th chapter. Thanks OriSweatshirt and Anne12fink for your reviews! :)


	6. Chapter 6

Sakura lagged behind the two teams as they quickly traipsed back their way to Konoha. _Ugh, I thought I was already fully recovered from my fight with Sasori. It seems I still haven't recuperated the chakra I Iost. I really need to find a way for this or it might get me in trouble in the future. Sasuke-kun, we're coming for you next!_ Despite feeling tired and a little weakened from their mission, Sakura has never felt any better in years. Finally, they have an inkling as to Sasuke's current hideout and she can't wait to finally see him again. Noticing a figure coming back to leap from tree to tree beside her, she gave Naruto a tired smile, "What is it Naruto? Am I needed at the front?"

"Not really Sakura-chan. I just noticed you were at the back of the group and I decided to keep you company, just in case," the blonde replied while giving an awkward scratch on the side of his head. "Before Chiyo obaa-san died, she told me how awesome you were in your fight with her grandson. I'm really so proud of you Sakura-chan," he blushed a little at his declaration.

"Thanks Naruto. That means a lot to me. We both improved, ne? Finally, we can face Sasuke-kun and ask him to come back. I'll request a mission from Tsunade-shishou once we arrive in Konoha. We promised each other that we're the ones to make him return, ne?" Sakura's eyes alighted at the memory of her longtime crush and the idea of being able to be the one to make him return to his old village.

"Heh, you're right." Naruto's demeanor changed slightly and looked thoughtful. "I'm sure we could convince him Sakura-chan. The teme is stubborn but we're both more stubborn than him - dattebayo!" His serious aura shifted to being goofy once again and gave his teammate a grin.

"Hey, don't call him that," Sakura grumbled but released a smile as she lost focus of what's ahead and started daydreaming about her and Sasuke becoming a team once more.

Naruto simply looked at his pink-haired teammate with a look of longing and tried his best to think positively. _I'll make sure Teme returns to us, Sakura-chan. Seeing you happy really makes me happy, after all._ He realized this revelation whenever he looks at Sakura and the way she smiles at him. He couldn't help the heavy feeling in his chest at this thought.

"Oi, stop lagging you two! I really can't wait to get back to Konoha and take a much-needed rest," Tenten shouted at them from the front.

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"Can I have you as my permanent medic? I quite prefer your gentle method of healing, Hinata-chan," came a lazy and slightly teasing drawl as Hinata bade his temporary patient goodbye.

"E-eto, I'm not really the person who's responsible for assigning patients Genma-san. D-demo, Sakura's a great medic so I don't really see why you would be having p-problems with her," Hinata innocently answered her patient. After leaving for a mission, a few patients of Sakura were transferred to her. Shiranui Genma was one of them. He was severely injured from his latest mission last week and may be spending the rest of the month in the hospital.

Looking at his temporary medic appreciatively, Genma smiled languidly at her and couldn't help but check her out during the times that she visits him for his regular checkup. _Eh, who would have thought the Hyuga heiress to become this beautiful? How come I never noticed this before? Man, Hiashi will probably have a hard time pushing away his daughter's suitors in the future, heh._ Suddenly, the door to his room opened with a loud bang and in came his medic, Haruno Sakura.

"Oh, hello there Hinata-chan. I didn't know Genma-san was assigned to you. I hope he wasn't giving you a hard time. He can be a bit of a handful sometimes," Sakura smiled at her and finally noticing her patient's grimace, she scowled slightly, "Got any problems Genma-san?"

"Er, nothing Sakura-chan. You returned early. I assume you're mission was successful?" giving the pink-haired girl a nod, he turned his attention to Hinata who was silently observing their interaction. "Hinata-chan, thanks a lot for temporarily taking care of me. What I regret is that we haven't spent a longer time together," he teased the shy heiress. Hinata reddened at that and he laughed loudly. "Hey, why don't I take you out for dinner once I'm released at the hospital?" came his sudden suggestion. He can't really help but compare the two girls standing in front of him. _Eh, I never knew my type consisted of shy women with long dark hair, a pretty face who constantly blushes and a curvaceous figure._

"Quit your flirting, Shiranui! Ugh, you're disgusting," was Sakura's angry retort. "Don't listen to him Hinata, he's probably like that to all the females he encounters."

"Not to you," Genma silently mumbled.

"Did you just say something?! Anyway, I think you should take a rest now Hinata-chan, I'm sure you've been pretty busy here lately," she gently reminded the other female.

"O-Oh, hai! You're right, I should go now. Bye Sakura-chan, Genma-san," Hinata waved and made her exit.

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As Hinata was walking along the hallways of the hospital, an approaching figure was making his way towards her. Seeing his blonde hair, blue eyes and a smile that could never be mistaken for anybody else, Hinata paused and breathed deeply. _Relax Hinata, come on, don't faint. Don't faint._ She was doing her mantra repeatedly when Naruto was finally standing in front of her.

"Hey Hinata-chan!" Naruto grinned at her, clearly oblivious of the girl's current predicament. "Are you alright now? The last time we met, you fainted and I was worried about you. "

 _Naruto-kun was worried about me._ This particular comment from the blonde made her happy; smiling at him, she replied, "I'm fine Naruto-kun, thanks for asking. What are you…"

"Anyway, I was looking for Sakura-chan and couldn't really find her. Have you seen her?" Naruto expectantly waited for her reply when another figure approached them.

"There you are Dickless. Yamato asked me to fetch you and Ugly," came a voice Hinata never heard of before. She looked at him and noticed that his pale face reminded her a bit of Team 7's missing teammate, Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto's reaction though was comical and had she been less shy, she would have laughed loudly in front of her crush. She suddenly realized that comment was actually for Naruto and wondered who this new person was. _And who's Ugly, I really hope it's not me. But Naruto-kun isn't really like that, is he? I'm sure he's not di…_ She held her cheeks with both her hands and blushed furiously. Deciding now's the time to cut off her thoughts, she looked at the new arrival and studied his profile. He was plastering on a somewhat fake smile and seemed not bothered by Naruto-kun's profanities directed towards him.

"What are you two doing here Naruto, Sai?" a familiar voice sounded from behind her.

 _So this person is called Sai. Is he a replacement for Sasuke-kun?_ Hinata looked at Sakura and gave her space to include her within their circle.

"Like I said to Dickless before you came Ugly, Yamato-taichou wanted to meet with us," the person called Sai turned his attention to Hinata and smiled that weird smile at her. "I'm Sai, by the way. I read that it's proper to introduce myself to someone I don't recognize to form a special bond with them," Sai told her without emotion, face just as emotionless. Ignoring Sakura's face becoming red rapidly, Sai bowed at her.

"H-Hello, my name's H-Hinata," she smiled slightly. She really isn't sure what to make of this person but noticing Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan's attitude towards him, she can't help but eye him warily.

"What did he want? My shift hasn't ended yet," Sakura finally calmed down but an edge of anger could still be found in her voice. Reminiscing how she was often teased due to her pink hair and wide forehead as a child, she couldn't help but wince and feel insecure every time Sai called her Ugly.

"It's about our new mission the Hokage told us about yesterday. Yamato-taichou told me that we have to find an additional member for our mission. He or she must be skilled at reconnaissance, was what he said," Sai told his teammates without any change in tone or emotion. Remembering their upcoming mission and the particular objective of said mission, Naruto and Sakura's faces brightened and turned determined.

Sensing their discussion was mainly for their team, Hinata stepped backwards and was preparing to bid them goodbye when Naruto looked at her as if a light bulb suddenly appeared on top of his head. Hinata forced herself not to blush and start twiddling with her fingers.

"That's it! Say Hinata-chan, would you be interested in going to an awesome mission with us?"

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Well, there goes Chapter 6. Thanks gokcen92 for your review!


	7. Chapter 7

_Hn, so Kabuto went to one of Orochimaru's bases a few days ago. I think it's almost time to start making my plans into motion._ Knowing that the most loyal shinobi to the snake sannin is missing, Sasuke went to the training room for his last training on this place. He noticed Orochimaru has been acting a little bit edgier these days and he wasn't sure whether this is good news for him. _He might attack me anytime, best to keep my guard up at all times._

Sasuke silently trudged the tunnel and came to a stop at the entrance of the training room. Activating his Sharingan, he moved swiftly and threw kunai at every target practice found in the room. Barely three seconds have passed and more than a dozen of kunai could be found embedded at the very center of every target practice. He simply scoffed at his minor achievement and turning his attention to a few scrolls he might be interested in reading in the future, Sasuke started pulling at a couple of them and inspected each one with a small hint of interest.

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Sakura leaped from tree to tree just a few meters behind Naruto. _I can't believe I get to see you again, Sasuke-kun. You really don't know how much I longer for this day to finally come!_ Glancing behind her, she could see their team leader, Yamato-taichou and beside him was Sai. Furthest from where she was and being the final member of the team was Hyuga Hinata with her Byakugan activated.

 _"_ Yamato-taichou, I see a man just a few more meters ahead of where we are. I think I've seen him before, he's somewhat familiar to me, _"_ Hinata loudly relayed her observation to Team 7's current team leader.

"Is it Sasuke-teme, Hinata-chan?" Naruto came at her other side and was eagerly waiting for her reply.

"A-Ano, I don't think so Naruto-kun. He seems more mature. Did you say that you were meeting someone at the bridge, Yamato-taichou? He is actually situated just near the bridge and seems to be waiting." Hinata studied the person once more and she could distinctly make out his spectacles. "He seems to have sensed us though since he's now looking at our direction."

"That must be him. I need you to be careful and don't reveal yourselves first. We must make sure that this person means no harm," Yamato told them all seriously. He received a firm chorus of "Hai" and nodded approvingly. "Good, let's go."

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The person they were arranged to meet was Yakushi Kabuto, after all. Hinata remembered him from the Chuunin exams a few years ago.

"It's good to see you again, Naruto-kun, I see that you have all grown up." He was looking at Naruto, then to Sakura and finally to Hinata. His voice was mocking yet his face appeared friendly at them as if they were more than casual acquaintances.

Hinata noticed that Naruto was glaring at him angrily and his eyes have started to go red around the edges. Suddenly, she felt a flare of intense chakra and she had to involuntarily take a step back away from him while gasping at Naruto's expression. _He looks so angry. I wonder what this kind of chakra is. I've never felt this kind of thing before._ She shakily turned back her attention towards their opponent. She must have missed what was being exchanged a few seconds ago as Sakura, Naruto and Yamato turned tensed and were now taking defensive forms.

Temper getting the best of her, Sakura finally snapped and suddenly attacked Kabuto with her fist. With a flash that the pink haired kunoichi didn't expect, she was thrown haphazardly a few meters back and was unable to get back up.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's demeanor grew more intense and Hinata couldn't help but wince as a huge influx of hate-filled chakra was surrounding the blonde-haired shinobi. She shivered at what she saw and finally realized then and there that this has been the reason why Naruto-kun is hated by majority of the villagers. _Naruto-kun!_ At Naruto's swift attack at Kabuto, all hell broke loose.

It was a few minutes of confused fighting from different angles. The only person who seemed amused by this was their opponent, Kabuto.

"Maa, I think I'm done playing with you. Orochimaru-sama wanted me back as soon as possible. This has been fun though," came Kabuto's friendly tone and promptly jumped on the trees and vanished.

It took a few more minutes to finally calm Naruto down. Yamato heaved a sigh of relief, "Thanks for your assistance, Hinata-san. I would suggest not to voice out what you just found out about Naruto-kun a moment ago. We should respect his decision on who he wants to know about his special condition. How is Sakura-chan, by the way?"

"Hai Yamato-taichou. I won't tell anyone," she promised. Looking sadly at the person she admired all through her life, she realized she doesn't know him all that much. _I wish I could be a good friend to you Naruto-kun. You've suffered in silence and yet you grew to be an admirable person._ She smiled at his sleeping form. Turning her attention to her temporary female teammate, "She's fine Yamato-taichou. Her injuries aren't serious. A-ano, will you please let me see your injuries Sai-kun?" she asked their last member of the team. Receiving a nod from him, she started healing Sai's minor injuries.

"That's good. I think we should make a move on now though. We should catch up to Kabuto as soon as possible since he was probably telling the truth about going to where Orochimaru is." _And this is the only chance to locate where Uchiha Sasuke is._ Yamato didn't voice out this particular comment. He's not really positive about the outcome of this mission ever since their brief encounter with the snake sannin's assistant. _Has Orochimaru been expecting us?_

"I'll carry Naruto-kun for now," noticing Sakura regaining her consciousness, Yamato told them all to start moving and prepare for future unfriendly encounters that may happen as they approach the enemy's base.

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Finally locating Kabuto with the aid of the Byakugan, Yamato signaled for a stop, "I think it would best that I distract him while the four of you continue going inside their base." He looked at them and then turned her attention to the Hyuga heiress. "Hinata, can you locate a possible entrance to their base?"

Focusing her concentration at a seemingly huge base underground, Hinata searched for an opening they can use to enter there. Locating the nearest one, she said, "H-Hai Yamato-taichou. 50 meters ahead and 30 degrees to the east is a narrow entrance."

"Yosh, good work Hinata-chan!" Naruto told her. He knew Hinata must already have a knowledge about the Kyuubi sealed inside him but he was thankful that she didn't pry. He didn't really feel like talking about this particular subject to anyone unless it's Ero Sennin and Tsunade-baachan. He just regained his consciousness a while ago but the thought of seeing his friend, Uchiha Sasuke returned his jovial mood.

"A-Arigatou Naruto-kun," was the soft reply. Waiting for further instructions, Hinata patiently stood on a branch along with her new teammates.

"Be careful all of you. No need to waste time, let's go!" The four of them separated from their team leader and went into the direction where the entrance of the base is located.

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As they arrived at the narrow entrance leading to the base underground, Sakura turned to Hinata, "Hinata-chan, can you try using your Byakugan and try to see what's ahead of us?"

Grateful that she managed to become useful for this mission, Hinata nodded firmly and activated her bloodline limit. "I-It's quite dark inside and a few torches are the only things illuminating the various passages once we manage to walk a few meters from here."

"Nani, there are tunnels after this?" Naruto voiced the other two's reaction and Hinata simply nodded.

"I think we should all split up then. Each one of us should take a tunnel to locate Sasuke-kun. Can you see further Hinata-chan?" Sakura asked her teammate hopefully.

"Gomen Sakura-chan but there are protective seals put up right after the entrances to the tunnels a-and I can only see a few meters of what's ahead," Hinata told her apologetically.

"No need to apologize Hinata-chan. You've been really helpful to us and I'm sure we would've taken a longer time to arrive here had you not been with us," Naruto praised the shy Hyuga and patted her on the back. The girl whipped her head to look up at him fully, pale eyes becoming a bit glassy and her ever-present blush on her cheeks came back full force. _Ehh, did I say something wrong? She's kind of cute though, looking all shy and flustered._

Sensing another fainting spell if she won't interrupt Naruto, Sakura informed her teammates that they should really start moving now. Feeling suddenly energized, she raised her fist and confidently declared, "Cha! We're coming for you Sasuke-kun!"

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I'm not really confident in writing fight scenes. I try my best to avoid it, if I could. On another note, Sasuke and Hinata will finally meet on the next chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

Hinata took the tunnel nearest to the right side of where they came from. _I can't believe Naruto-kun praised me! I'm so glad I was able to join them for this mission. I promised to do my best and I can't let them down, especially Naruto-kun. I know how important this mission is for him._ Walking with determination, she decided activating her kekkei genkai might work once more. _I just passed the barrier. I think my Byakugan would be helpful once again._ Through her dojoutsu, she could see the many winding pathways this underground base seems to have. She can't help but give a slight shiver at the coldness of the tunnel. _No one's seems to be around here. It looks empty. I wonder if Sasuke-kun's really here. Wait, what's that?_ Noticing a presence in one of the rooms a few meters in front of her, she decided to investigate.

 _Huh, why did it abruptly vanish?_ Preparing for any sudden attacks, Hinata approached the particular room with caution where she sensed a presence of chakra there earlier. Sensing nothing as she reached the door, she walked inside the room noting a bed on the right side, a table and a chair opposite it, a small cabinet and a few random things lying here and there. _It seems like a normal room. The bed's probably even used just a while ago._ Noticing the way the blanket was thrown haphazardly to the side, she continued looking around the room for any clues as to the kind of person occupying it. Detecting something of interest, she approached the table with her hand outstretched. As she was about to open the scroll to read its content, she could feel the sharp tip of a kunai at the back of her neck.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a smooth, somewhat familiar voice sounded from behind her. The presence she felt a while ago came back and he's only a few inches away from her.

"Sa-Sasuke-kun," Hinata shivered as the kunai was pointed more forcefully than before. She could already feel a little trickle of blood at the back of her neck. Still trembling, she decided to turn around and face Naruto-kun's former teammate, Uchiha Sasuke.

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"Hn," Sasuke eyed the intruder from the corner of his eyes, kunai still pointing at the kunoichi standing in front of him. _With her pale lavender eyes and the leaf forehead protector hanging around her neck, no doubt she's part of the Hyuga clan. She seems quite familiar though. Where have I seen her before?_ Aside from her eyes, he noticed her pale, smooth skin and her long dark blue hair. Had he been a normal teenager, he would say that she's attractive.

"I thought it was Naruto and the rest of Team 7 who's going to _return_ me to my old village. I must have been mistaken," he scoffed at that and gave the girl a brief uninterested look from head to toe. _They even have the guts to send a weak kunoichi._

"T-They're with me, S-Sasuke-kun. If you'd c-come with m-me, you can m-meet with N-Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan," the Uchiha's intense glare made her stuttering return and she can't help but feel a little intimidated at the towering figure right in front of her. This isn't the Sasuke she remembered a few years ago. _He has changed so much and his dark aura is almost suffocating me._ She breathed deeply and deciding for the sake of her Naruto-kun, she put on a brave face in front of the young shinobi. _I won't give up, even if I have to fight against you Uchiha Sasuke! Demo, he seems like he's been fighting probably just a few hours ago though._ Becoming aware of his slightly tattered sleeves, drops of blood on his clothing, a slight gash near his right eye and an unconscious effort to favor on his right leg, Hinata gave a loud gasp.

"You're h-hurt Sasuke-kun!" Activating her Byakugan, she studied at his dark chakra and she could sense another faint chakra on his body as well. Both chakra seem to want to dominate each other but the dark chakra is starting to overpower the smaller foreign one. To Hinata, it looks quite messy and felt a small pang of pity at the Uchiha Avenger. _It must be painful. I'm sure he's using a lot of willpower not let that foreign chakra take over any part of his body._

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Realizing that she won't be making an attack against him anytime soon, he briefly closed his eyes and relaxed his body. Just a few hours ago, he fought with Orochimaru and was able to kill him. He may have defeated the snake sannin but he wasn't left unscathed. He had to kill a few of Orochimaru's loyal experiments as well when they decided to attack him upon discovering their master dead at the hands of his student. Added to the fact that Orochimaru's cells are trying to take over his body. He smirked. _But it' not like you'll succeed, Orochimaru._

Looking at the kunoichi once more, he was slightly impressed that she did her best to appear strong and unafraid in front of him. While he may be able to defeat her in the end, his slightly weakened state may get worse. _And she has the Dobe and Sakura with her. There may be a few others as well. I must think fast so I can get out of here as soon as possible without any more encounters with Konoha nins. I won't allow them to bring me back to Konoha. Not yet._

"How d-did you get your injuries? I noticed that your chakra system is going haywire." The female Hyuga started a conversation with him once more. _Hn, she's quite persistent. You remind of the dobe himself._ His brows furrowed at that and quite unexpectedly, he remembered that face. _I see, you were the dobe's lone admirer. That one girl who seemed to follow wherever the Naruto goes._ Since she didn't seem to bother him when they were kids, he let her continue in observing the dobe. Not once had he voiced out his observations to his blue-eyed idiot of a teammate. He seriously didn't know what attracted this girl to his teammate. Wasn't she the Hyuga clan's heiress?

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His lack of response was starting to get on her nerves. Hinata may not be much of a talker herself, _but_ _seriously his silence is kind of scary. I wonder what goes on his head. He seems like a really cold and distant person. It should have been Naruto-kun here instead of me. He should know what to do with his friend._ Realizing that there's only a small chance he may decide to attack her, she positioned her body into a more relaxed pose and studied the boy once more just as he's been studying her profile the moment she faced him. Thinking it's best to approach him in a more friendly manner, she relaxed her face and smiled a little forcefully. _Ah, this is quite a difficult situation to be in._

"A-Ano Sasuke-kun, I-I deal with fixing problems related to chakra at the hospital. Perhaps, if you would let me…" she hesitated to continue her sentence when the Uchiha gave her a sharp glance as he heard her declaration. "I'm sure Naruto-kun would want you to be h-healed."

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 _What a weird girl indeed._ He could see that she's having a hard time dealing with him and it seems like she's only forcing herself to be friendly. He smirked and continued to stare at her. _Seeing her squirming is quite amusing. But she did say she can heal his chakra system. Perhaps…_

 _"_ You seem to spout the dobe's name more than once. Did he force you to be on this mission? _"_ he looked at her enquiringly. The girl's face changed from being friendly, to that of being shocked and quite suddenly becoming red rapidly. _What the… Never had he seen someone who changes facial expressions as rapidly as her._

 _"_ E-Ehh… _"_ the girl started twiddling with her fingers, eyes looking anywhere but at him and mumbled something unintelligible. _So I'm right, after all. Hn, maybe I can use this to my advantage. I need my chakra system to be fixed anyway if I wanted to come out of here alive. He should really be more careful on what to say to her from now on._

"What's in it for you?" he asked a little bit forcefully. Surely, there's something she wants in exchange. All people do.

She looked at him with surprise and said, "Nani?! N-Nothing Sasuke-kun. You were once a Konoha nin after all and it's only right that I heal you." She said this with as much dignity she could muster and he could sense her sincerity.

 _I was right, you are definitely one strange girl. But in a good way, I think._ Unconsciously, Sasuke's mouth turned upwards, resembling somewhat of a smile. "Fine, you better come with me for a while then. Don't go backing out on me now." He unsheathed his Kusanagi and pointed the sword right in front of her. He then smirked at her challengingly.

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Thank you madelinka36 and HimeHaeDen for your reviews! :)


	9. Chapter 9

Meanwhile, on the other side of the base…

Haruno Sakura grumbled as she made her way into tunnel after tunnel. _Where the heck are you, Sasuke-kun?_ Her face contorted into an angry scowl as she was once more facing another winded,narrow tunnel a few paces ahead. At first, she was feeling so confident that she'll be able to finally see the love of her life once again. She even began imagining how they will be meeting and at the end of every short daydream was always a happy ending. There were a few times that she had to stop walking as her face abruptly blushed hotly while giggling silently. But as she was met with more empty tunnels and empty rooms along the way, her happy and relaxed demeanor changed into uneasiness and just now, she's feeling a bit angrier. _The others are probably in the same boat as me. Shannaro! I won't give up! Love always wins, after all._ Feeling determined once more, Sakura opened another room hoping Sasuke to be there. She sighed upon seeing it empty. _Really, how many rooms are there in this base?_

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Naruto is having the same luck as his pink-haired teammate, or lack of luck, as one would put it. Like Sakura, he's been wandering around the tunnels aimlessly for any sign of anyone. _Teme, where are you?! You're probably doing this on purpose, are you; just to annoy the hell out of us._ Frustrated, he yelled, "Sasuke-teme, show yourself! I bet you're scared to fight against me now!" he challenged. Hearing no answer, he stomped his foot like that of a spoiled child and noting there are three more tunnels a few meters in front of him, he groaned tiredly. _I didn't know looking for Teme would be this boring._ He decided to take on the tunnel on his left and continued moving. _Arghh!_

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Sai, the final member of the team isn't having any success either. Like his two teammates, he has been wandering silently along the narrow tunnels, pausing a few times to check whether his animated drawings were able to find something. But even with the help of the little drawn animals he animated to life, there still has no sighting of the Uchiha. _I promised Danzo-sama that I would not fail him._ He opened his scroll once more and began to draw.

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"D-Demo Sasuke-kun, I was actually considering healing you right a-after we meet up with Naruto-kun and the rest of the team." Thinking about the blonde made her remember the purpose of this mission. _I must convince him to return with us! Kami, help me make this situation easier. I never knew Sasuke-kun to be this difficult…_ She continued to rant on her mind. Finally feeling quite relaxed, she looked at Sasuke right in the eye. "Please follow me out of this room or…"

"Or what can you do, Hyuga?" the man in front of her continued looking through his bangs with the same smirk plastered on his face. _He's toying with me. He thinks of me so weak and that I'm no threat at all._ The way he dealt with her made her remember all the times she was looked down by majority of the Hyuga clan members, especially her father and Neji before his sudden change of heart. Like she was a sorry excuse of a kunoichi and a future clan head. Feeling the familiar clench in her stomach and the urge to vomit, she breathed deeply and took on a more serious front.

"I may not be as strong as you but I'll never give up. That's my nindo! I promised Naruto-kun I would help him in this mission the best way I can," she all said this confidently and realized she didn't stutter this time in his presence.

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 _Huh, who would have thought she has a backbone._ Comprehending the seriousness of the situation, he attempted to intimidate her more to subject her into submission. _I don't really have the time to fight her. The others might come here and I'll be in more trouble._

Frowning at her, he replied "So what, you'll attack me? I can still defeat you without putting much of an effort." He didn't really know how strong she's become. She may have been weak the last time he saw her but time changes things and she looks quite determined to bring him back to his previous team.

"I-If there is no other choice," he could see that she's putting on a brave front but her slightly trembling form gave him an idea how she's really feeling at the moment.

"Hn, what if there is another choice?" he's not so sure if this particular plan would work but he could at least try. He should really get out of this place now.

"W-What is it?" her defensive form slightly relaxed and looked at him with a curious gaze.

"I'll tell you only if you agree that you accompany me out of this base now else I may simply have to kill you," he said this without any emotion. Lowering his sword and shortening the gap between them while activating his Sharingan, he looked down at the girl.

"What do you say, Hyuga?" he asked threateningly.

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She shivered as she could feel his figure towering to her smaller form; his body only a few inches away from her. Taking in her current predicament, she can't help but gulp and start looking for a way to escape from him. The room they were in is quite small; any movement from her would alert the Uchiha and she would be in a much bigger trouble. Without any means of escape, she took a step backward and silently groaned as her back hit the wall. She sighed dejectedly and turned her head to face the dangerous shinobi in front of her. _I guess I have no choice but to listen to him. I really don't want to die this way and I may lose the chance of helping Naruto-kun._

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Knowing that he already won, he smirked at her triumphantly and sheathed his sword back. "There's an exit near this room and we can go the opposite way you came from." Sharingan still activated, he stepped a few steps away from her. _I need to be careful around her. Just in case she'll decide to attack and close my tenketsu points._ "I need to do a few things. I'll explain more on the way. We should hurry up."

Not having any choice on the matter except to believe him, the Hyuga heiress nodded gravely at him and gave a reply in a small voice, "H-Hai Sasuke-kun."

He let her walk on the front as they made their way to the other exit of the base. Reaching near an open space, Sasuke halted the girl, "We need to set a fast pace to give as much distance from here before you can start healing me. You go first." The girl offered a slight nod to indicate she understood his instructions. She jumped towards the nearest tree, long dark hair swishing gracefully as she landed firmly on a sturdy-looking branch. Without hesitation, he followed the girl and together they set a fast pace.

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Before the four members of the team parted ways, they decided to meet at the entrance of the underground base at a certain time they all agreed upon, with or without the subject of their mission, Uchiha Sasuke. _I think I should start heading back now. Hopefully, one of us was able to meet with Sasuke-kun and is now going back to our meeting place._ She started trudging back, her steps echoing loudly on the silent walls of the narrow passageway.

Half an hour of walking and she could finally see the opening of the base. She spotted Sai sitting on the floor near a wall adjacent to where the entrance is. He appeared to hover over a form who was lying on the floor. She hurried her steps and stopped directly in front of her new teammate.

"What happened to him, Sai?" she asked him worriedly and promptly sat down. She began checking over their team leader's body for any sign of serious injuries. Noting his rugged breathing.. _but still breathing nonetheless.. S_ he heaved a sigh of relief.

Sai began telling her how he found Yamato-taichou already unconscious near the entrance of the base. _Kabuto must have done this to him._ Hands glowing with green chakra, she started healing the most serious wounds he could find on Yamato.

"Thank goodness his wounds aren't that deep. I can heal him right away," she told this to no one in particular while wiping the small sweat already starting to form on her forehead. "However, he'll probably be unconscious for the whole day. I think we should move him somewhere safer. Have Naruto and Hinata-chan already returned?" _And Sasuke-kun?_ She didn't voice out that thought though.

"No, they haven't. I was the first one to come here before I noticed Yamato-taichou's presence. The person we encountered before, Kabuto, was already gone. I think it's best that I send a few animals to look for them," he deadpanned and started drawing on his scroll.

"That's a good idea. We'll wait for them for a bit before moving Yamato-taichou." Left with nothing else to say, Sakura continued healing Yamato.

A few minutes later, loud footsteps could be heard. Sakura turned her head to where the sound came from and saw Naruto walking towards their direction.

"Hey guys!" he waved. Noticing the figure lying on the floor, he fastened his steps. "Is Yamato-taichou alright, Sakura-chan? What happened and where's Hinata-chan?" He said this all quickly but she could detect his worry.

"He's fine, he'll wake up soon," she assured him. "But Hinata-chan hasn't come back yet though," she added with a frown.

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Thanks taity and Markedninja13 for your reviews! Yup, here's to hoping more Sasuhina stories. Ah, about Hinata's prize, you'll be finding out soon enough. Anyway, tell me what you think so far. :)


	10. Chapter 10

Leaping from tree to tree nonstop in the fastest pace possible was a minor inconvenience for him but Sasuke could see that his companion isn't feeling quite the same. The Hyuga was starting to sweat a little and he could already hear her hard breathing. But not once did she voice her complaint. _I thought being a pampered Hyuga heiress would make her start demanding at me for a well-needed rest._ He might not know it yet, but the Uchiha has been unconsciously getting a little curious at this weird, pale-eyed Hyuga.

"I think we should take a short rest for now," seeing the Hyuga starting to slow down a few minutes ago and he could already hear her huffing loudly every time she takes a huge leap, he decided to take pity on her. _Just this once._ _We're quite far away from the base anyway so it should be safe._

He jumped down from the tree they were currently in and sensing no one else on the forest apart from them, he sat down behind the tree's huge trunk.

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"Hai, Sasuke-kun," she told him breathlessly. Taking a huge gulp of air, she followed the Uchiha and joined him at the bottom of the tree. _It's too quiet in here. It would have been nice if I could have taken a look at those beautiful wild flowers we passed just a few minutes ago. But I guess that would not happen seeing I'm with Sasuke-kun. Had it been Naruto-kun though…_ Eyeing her unexpected companion on this journey, she decided it's time to start healing him so she could meet her team once more and possibly bring Sasuke-kun along with her. While she was more than prepared for this mission, she didn't really expect at this sudden turn of events. But she couldn't wait to see Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan's happy expressions once she shows up with their missing teammate.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, can I start healing you now? I noticed that your c-chakra has been fluctuating since we started traveling and I'm a-afraid it will only get worse if I won't heal you sooner." Approaching him warily, she noticed his relaxed form and was cautious not to intrude on his personal space.

"If you say so," was his short reply. Sasuke opened his eyes and looked at her with an unreadable expression.

She walked towards him and was now directly in front of Sasuke. "U-um," appearing a little flustered, she stood awkwardly. Anyone looking at her would say she's having an internal battle with herself. She seems to struggle forming words.

"What is it?"

She didn't know how to say it but deciding it's too late to turn back now, she blushed as she kneeled in front of the Uchiha and adjusted her body so she's leaning a little bit to him without actually touching him. Activating her kekkei genkai, she started locating for his chakra pathways carefully.

Fidgeting a little at she was about to do, she told him uncomfortably, "Uh, y-you see, I may n-need to… touch some of your damaged t-tenketsu points, i-if that's alright with you." Grimacing a little at her stuttering, she looked at him through her dark lashes. _I can't believe I'm feeling like a 12-year old genin again. Get a grip, Hinata! This isn't Naruto-kun._ But she couldn't really help it, this man is intimidating and it's not like they were friends when they were children. Had he been anyone else, aside from Naruto-kun that is, she wouldn't hesitate to start healing him right away.

"Hn," he nodded a little at her.

Seeing him starting to relax while closing his eyes, Hinata took that as her cue to start with the process of checking the damaged tenketsu points and apply her own method of healing them. _It's not like this is the first time I have done this. I healed so many patients through this method and they all healed nicely… Tsunade-sama made sure that I'm ready for this a long time ago. But why do I feel so tense?_ She inhaled deeply and feeling less conscious now that he's not looking at her anymore, she eased her body comfortably near his. Lost in the trance of locating the tenketsu points and checking the difference with the damaged ones from those that need not healing, Hinata wasn't able to notice her patient's expression.

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Sasuke shivered slightly at the sudden gentle and unhurried touches he received from the kunoichi. He didn't really expect this kind of feeling. Somehow, her touches were soothing. He had already prepared himself to feel intruded once she stated that she heal him. Her touches were different from what he's been encountering these last few years. Usually, they hurt as he underwent training with Orochimaru and even when he was only an academy student and a genin, hers was gentler and better compared to how he was pinched, dragged and among other things by his fan girls, mainly, Sakura and Ino. He bit back a satisfied sigh. He's never felt this relaxed in years. Somehow, this felt like home. He felt like wanting to take a blissful sleep. He didn't notice his body leaning a little more towards the Hyuga heiress.

With closed eyes, his arms unconsciously settled on each side of the girl's waist and pulled her a little to his body. He would have settled into a more comfortable pose had he not heard the Hyuga heiress giving a surprised gasp. Opening his eyes, he finally saw the awkward position they were in. Hyuga Hinata's back was ramrod straight, pale eyes widening and a pair of feminine arms clutching his as if her life depended on it.

"E-Eto, Sa-Sasuke-kun," her mumbled and incoherent reply returned him to reality.

Not letting her know just how affected he is, Sasuke didn't respond and simply took off his arms from her waist and settled them on his sides instead. He waited for her to continue and sensing her hesitance, he told her, "You should get on it now. It's starting to get dark."

"O-Of course, Sasuke-kun," was her trembling reply.

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More than an hour had passed and Hinata could see that she's almost done with fixing his chakra pathways. She wiped her brows for the fifth time since she started as sweat began to form once again. _I never knew until now just how messed up his chakra pathways have become. I wonder what kind of training he did with the snake sannin._ Dark thoughts formed in her head and she couldn't help the slight shiver that ran through her body as thoughts of intense training the Uchiha underwent. _He must have been tortured or worse, experimented knowing the kind of teacher he had these past few years._ She frowned at this. She couldn't really understand his way of thinking. _He was loved by the villagers of Konoha yet he decided to leave a village that wanted what seems to be the best for him. He had a number of admirers and a loyal set of friends who would do anything for him… Unlike Naruto-kun who was once detested and it's only after he returned that some villagers started accepting him._

Her brows furrowed as more thoughts formed in her head concerning her current patient. _Hmm, I really shouldn't think about him in such a negative light. The Uchiha massacre that happened when he was only a child must have changed him so much. No one really knows the amount of pain he suffered after that._ Pausing to gather more chakra at her fingertips, she leaned back further from Sasuke for a bit and concentrated on getting the right amount of chakra on every tip of her fingers. Making sure she's ready to start with the final process of healing his chakra pathways, she leaned in once more to continue.

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Her serious demeanor was silent and all through the time that she mended his chakra system, never once had she uttered a single word. Except for the slight swish of her long hair and fingers brushing at her brows once in a while, he marveled at her concentration. The more she healed him, the more he felt better and he truly appreciated that. He'd never felt this calm before. He inhaled deeply as he had to force his mouth from releasing a pleasured groan. For once, he wasn't feeling tensed or disgusted when around a person. This was a nice change.

His thoughts then turned into grave matters as he contemplated about the days ahead. He was already planning on looking for the members who would help him locate his brother. There's Hozuki Suigetsu who was once experimented by Orochimaru in a base located just some miles away from here. Then there's Karin. An annoying girl but has the skills he needs for this mission. He knew from Kabuto that she was based near Kirigakure. And lastly, there's Juugo. _But what to do with her?_ He eyed his temporary medic thoughtfully. Just before she started healing him, he already planned on leaving her here so her teammates could find her in a day or so. He doesn't really want to involve her with his future plans, nor any other Konoha nin for that matter. Just before this whole unexpected situation happened, his mind was already adamant on the course of actions he would take until such a time that he would defeat Itachi. _But slight changes have happened. Hn, she's a capable healer but how strong is she as a kunoichi? While her Byakugan is a good addition for his team, her loyalty to him is questionable._ He remembered that this girl had been head over heels with his idiot of a teammate and it seems that even until now that hasn't changed. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he continued staring at the person who's been giving him a dilemma twice that day already.

"I-It's done Sasuke-kun," her small voice broke the silence in the forest. She shakily leaned away from him and brushed her stray hair away from her face.

"Hn," he stood up and scanned his surroundings. Night has already fallen, the moon illuminating the forest brightly. She looked back at her and noticing her tired figure, he suggested, "You did well. I think we should settle here for the night. You seem exhausted." He really should have left her here but seeing her becoming exhausted after healing him made him reconsider that thought. _Well, she did a great job at fixing me right back up so this is the least I could do. Tomorrow, we part ways._ He finally decided.

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"R-Really?! I'm glad Sasuke-kun," Hinata smiled brightly at him, pale lavender eyes widened in surprise. She didn't really expect to receive such praise from him, knowing the kind of person she assumed he was. _Huh, who would have thought. While he didn't show his declaration of thanks like what she would often receive from her patients back at Konoha, she was quite surprised that at least he acknowledged her._

Thinking about the night ahead, her grateful expression turned into something that might resemble a grimace had she been another person. Anyone looking at her now would see an expression like that of a child who seemed lost. _This has become even more complicated._ Mentally, she started pulling on her hair.

"Are you s-sure about staying the night here? What if..." she asked him, her brows furrowing and eyes shifting warily around the forest.

He glared at her and probably seeing it was an innocent question from her, the Uchiha turned emotionless once more. "Yes, seeing as we're both tired from the journey and you're almost out of chakra, this is the best we could do."

Knowing he was right and left without any other choice, she finally nodded at him. "Alright Sasuke-kun." She fidgeted awkwardly which received a confused glance from him. Hinata noticed this so she simply smiled at him indicating it as an assurance that she's fine. She wanted to give him a thumbs-up sign but vanished the idea as it would only look weird on her. At last, she settled to sit down and rest for a while.

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Your thoughts?

And I apologize in advance if you notice any grammar mistakes. English isn't really my first language.

Thanks rachelm12 for your review!


	11. Chapter 11

For the nth time ever since they moved out of the underground base, Naruto looked towards the entrance hoping he could spot a mop of familiar long dark hair belonging to Hyuga Hinata emerging from it. Seeing none, he gave a disappointed sigh and returned to gazing at their unconscious team leader once more. _This is my fault. I shouldn't have forced her to come with us. Neji would definitely have a reason to kill me this time!_

At Sakura's insistence, they had moved out and traveled a few meters away from the base so she could continue healing Yamato without the chance of being spotted by enemy nins. They all agreed but he couldn't help the guilty feeling that arose from his chest every time he thought about their missing teammate. _Please be safe Hinata-chan, wherever you may be right now._

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Seeing Naruto's worried expression, Sakura approached him and gave him a slight bump on the head. His reaction was a slightly angry "Ow!"

"Don't worry Naruto, I'm sure she will be here soon and if she can't, we'll simply have to find her. Hinata-chan's a big girl now. I'm sure she could handle herself," she assured him.

Still rubbing the side of the head where she hit him earlier, Naruto looked at her, "I guess so," he mumbled. She could still detect his worry though.

"Baka! Don't give me that look. Like I said, Hinata-chan can handle herself well. I should know since we trained together," her voice rising a little and her fist attempting to pounce on him once more.

"Hey, stop doing that Sakura-chan. You may not know it yourself but your punches hurt, you know", he grumbled at her.

Sakura managed to smile sheepishly at him and sensing her teammate's acting more of a bit of himself now, she contemplated on today's events and asked herself where did they go wrong. _I was so sure we'd be able to see Sasuke-kun today._

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Feeling a little bit sleepy, Hinata decided that she should sleep now seeing no one else aside from them on this huge forest and protective seals already put up around them at her insistence. Her sleeping mat was already laid down near a huge tree trunk. She settled into a comfortable position. Just as she was about to lay down, she noticed that the Uchiha didn't bring any sleeping gears for him and was only sitting down, his back resting on another tree just beside hers where she laid next to. His eyes were closed but he didn't appear to be sleeping. _Well, this is awkward. It would be rude of me to start sleeping comfortably while he has nothing to sleep on. But I really don't feel like offering him to let him sleep beside me. Besides, he might probably think I'm his secret fan girl or something. Kami, what should I do?!_ Seeming confused at what she should do next, she groaned in frustration. Sasuke must have heard her as he looked towards her direction curiously.

"E-eto, Sasuke-kun, I n-noticed you haven't b-brought any sleeping gear. I-if you want, we c-could, u-um… share" she told him while twiddling with her fingers and avoiding eye contact, the last word spoken hesitatingly. What she just told him made her cheeks grow hot and her stuttering becoming worse than ever. _Kami, this is so embarrassing._ But she was raised to be a dignified heiress so her manners won over thus inviting to let him sleep on the mat, albeit doing it a little grudgingly. _No wonder Hanabi-chan says I act like a little child at times._ She looked at him kindly but silently hoping that he would decline her offer.

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Looking at her flustered form was truly amusing. He gave a slight grin unknowingly but it turned into a smirk thinking that he should at least have a little fun with the heiress tonight. _I think I deserve to have some fun at least, just this once_. He just discovered that messing with her was a form of entertainment for him.

Deciding to humor her, he finally stood up and silently approached the Hyuga heiress, his stare focused solely at her. His smirked widened at seeing her new expression. _I bet you didn't expect that._ Once he reached the sleeping mat, he sat down on it, his gaze still at her flustered form. Her fidgeting was more pronounced than ever. They were now sitting together on the sleeping mat, shoulders almost touching. He decided to toy with her more and simply waited at what she was about to do next. He continued keeping silent.

Face resembling like that of a ripe tomato, her reply was made of a stuttered "um", a hesitant "okay", a few more stutters he couldn't seem to get a grasp at what she meant and finally a defeated sigh. Never had he felt this entertained in years.

"We should sleep now. We need to be awake by dawn." His face turned serious once more. To be honest, he did feel tired and sleepy. His fight with Orochimaru and a few nins weakened him and setting a fast pace for their journey worsened his condition. Curious at what she would do next, he laid on the sleeping mat and settled into a more comfortable position; one arm propped beneath his head and he started closing his eyes. He heard a slight gasp but refused to acknowledge her reaction.

Sasuke could feel a slight shuffle of her clothes for a while. A few seconds later, her form became still and quite suddenly, he could sense that she stood up.

"Um S-Sakuke-kun, I-I think I need to re-check our s-surroundings once m-more. Just to be s-sure that we're s-safe. You should s-sleep first," he heard her reply. Without waiting for his answer, he could hear silent footsteps walking away from their sleeping mat. He gave an amused smirk at that. Finally, he started drifting off to sleep, unaware of his surroundings and the shy yet highly-entertaining Hyuga heiress. That night, his dreams mostly consisted of a long dark-haired woman, her porcelain hands gently trying to reach his yet somehow unable to do so.

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 _Alright, one last time._ Hinata activated her Byakugan and scanned the forest around them. She's been doing this for the last fifteen minutes, turning her family's bloodline limit on and off repeatedly. Feeling tired, she glanced for the third time at her sleeping mat with the Uchiha sleeping peacefully on one side comfortably. She winced.

Her body was now feeling the after-effects of all the things that she did today. She groaned and slowly trudged towards her sleeping mat. _I can do this!_ Never had she shared her sleeping mat before during missions. Hinata sat down on the mat and glanced down at the sleeping Uchiha. _He looks peaceful, so unlike the kind of aura he gives off whenever he's awake. And handsome too,_ she added with a slight blush, finally acknowledging why lots of girls fancy him back in Konoha.

With only a small hint of hesitation this time, she laid next to the Uchiha, putting as much space as possible between them. She breathed deeply, said her prayers and finally closed her eyes. Too sleepy to notice anything, she didn't react to something quite heavy landing just below her chest.

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Again, thanks for the reviews! Yup... more twists along the way.


	12. Chapter 12

What awoke Sasuke from his deep slumber was the slight tickle he felt near his chin. It was still dawn, he noticed. He was completely surprised that for once he was not awakened from his usual nightmares. He knew he had a dream last night but couldn't quite remember what it was about. He always remembers his nightmares. Regaining clarity on his surroundings, he looked up at the sky and blinked a few times before giving a relieved sigh, yet failing to see a sleeping female Hyuga next to him, one of his arms was wound around her side.

He tried moving his leg but was unable to do so when he felt something above it. Finally, he understood just how awkward the current situation he is in. Glancing down at the tangle of legs, he noiselessly groaned. He tried not to think about how they ended up in this situation. Groaning some more as he found out one of her arms was clutching tightly at his sleeve. Finally looking at where his head rested at the moment, he slightly moved away from the heiress, the faint lavender scent of her hair still lingering through his nose. Deciding it's best to slowly remove his appendages from the still sleeping Hyuga one by one, he unwound his arm first and firmly settled it on his side.

It took quite a few minutes before he was able to completely remove his self from his companion. Glad that she didn't stir from her slumber, he silently thanked Kami for little mercies in life. He seriously didn't want anyone to see that. He may be an avenger but he's still a teenage boy, unfortunately. Waking up next to a female, an attractive one at that if he was to be honest with himself, would likely result in not-so-innocent thoughts forming in his mind. Thus, he couldn't help the slight reddening of his cheeks at the moment. He really wanted to clear his head.

Sasuke abruptly stood up and glanced down at the person still lying on the mat, hair splayed around her pale face. In that instant, he caught her mumbling something, inaudibly at first. Curious, he focused his hearing while trying to read through her lips. What he heard next made him scowl.

Deciding it's best to let her sleep for a few minutes just so he could compose himself and vanish those unwanted thoughts running rampant in his head, he walked a few paces away from the sleeping Hyuga. He sat down from where he settled last night, just before the Hyuga invited him to share her sleeping mat. Collecting his thoughts, he closed his eyes to meditate.

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Hinata awoke to the sounds of birds chirping above her, at the tree where she settled her sleeping mat last night. She smiled lazily and looked at the trees surrounding her and marveled at the promise of a beautiful morning. In times like this, she gets to appreciate just how beautiful the world truly is. Living life as a kunoichi would often make her forget to stop and smell the flowers. The simple joys the world is able to provide are often overshadowed by painful events that every shinobi and kunoichi would often experience for most of their lives.

Sighing and turning around, she was met with Uchiha Sasuke's back who was probably meditating just a few steps away from where she is. Her eyes widened as she gave a loud intake of breath as last night's events came at the forefront of her mind. Sasuke must have heard her gasp as he turned around and faced her with that same cold expression she knew now so well, often directed at her lately. She sat up abruptly as he started collecting a few of his things lying near him on the ground.

"Good morning, S-Sakuke-kun," she looked up at him and offered him a brief smile, cheeks reddening a bit; thoughts about last night still lingering on her mind.

"Hyuga," he simply nodded at her.

Coming to a decision that it's best to stand up when it comes to facing the Uchiha, Hinata rearranged her limbs from their current position and shakily stood up. To ease the awkward aura between them, she resolved on starting a small talk with him.

"H-How was your sleep? Um, I hope I wasn't a bother to you last n-night…"she stammered. She remembered Hanabi once telling her that she won't ever sleep next to her again. It was a few years ago when Hanabi went inside her room asking if she could sleep beside her after suffering the after effects of a nightmare. She agreed, of course. But the following morning, she found an irate Hanabi glaring down at her scornfully. Not giving her the chance to let her speak, she heard her younger sister's long tirade directed solely at her; that she was a cuddly sleeper, that her legs were all over the bed all through the night, and with a glare, she told her she was punched in the face twice that night, and _blah, blah blah._ She didn't hear the rest as she felt dumbfounded. She could still remember Hanabi's rage quite well. _It was a few years ago though, so I must have already lost that unconscious habit by now._

For the briefest moment, his left eye twitched but aside from that, his face remained expressionless. _What does that mean? He isn't raging like a bull though, unlike Hanabi, so I must have behaved well last night._ Clearing her throat, she waited for his answer, hoping he could add something to their conversation.

She heard his familiar reply of "Hn" without giving anything else that would satisfy her curiosity. She mentally huffed at him. Outwardly, she only nodded as if she understood what he meant all along. She paused as if to contemplate on something. Finally, she gathered her courage to ask him once more. Something that's been nagging on her mind on more than one occasion ever since the Uchiha decided to bring her along for this journey but never once had she dared to ask, until now.

"I'm curious Sasuke-kun, b-but when are we returning back to Naruto-kun and the o-others?"

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 _So she's done with the awkward questions._ Glad that it's over, Sasuke mentally sighed as he really didn't want to tell her the truth. Hearing her last question though made him swore silently. He couldn't really decide what to do with her for now. He knew that she will be a useful ally, but at to what extent would she help him? _I'm quite sure she's doing this charity for the sake of his former teammate._ He could still remember her mumble the dobe's name early this morning. His mood unconsciously started to darken. _But she could easily help me locate Suigetsu though._

"Not at the moment," he replied vaguely.

"W-what do you mean, Sasuke-kun?" He could already hear a slight agitation to her voice. _You are too easy to read Hyuga. All these good deeds you were doing to me were for the dobe's sake after all._

Deciding she deserves at least a partially honest answer from him, he told her while studying her profile, curious at her next reaction. "I need to find a few people. I need your help looking for the two of them."

"But I t-thought…" her voice wavered at the end. He could sense that she wanted to say more but his sharp glare silenced her.

"You think I would return now just when I'm about to accomplish my goal?" he asked her menacingly. He took a step towards her and activated his Sharingan, tomoes spinning rapidly. His anger was quite obvious now. It took some effort on his part not to let the curse seal activate without his consent.

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Feeling the sudden change of the atmosphere, Hinata took a step backwards. She really didn't expect for him to change his mood in such a short time. This person in front of her was scary. She truly didn't know why her question received such a negative reaction from him. As if on cue upon staring at his red irises, she clearly understood now what he meant by his goal. _To kill his brother Uchiha Itachi, once and for all._ She shuddered a little. The thought of killing a family member is so foreign to her and downright cruel. But the memory of the Uchiha massacre lingered on her mind and she's starting to see how that event would always come knocking at Sasuke's door. _Always reminding him of what he once had and what he lost in a blink of an eye._

"I-I understand Sasuke-kun. Forgive me. I hadn't really thought about your plans because of my selfish wish… and that i-is to see my team as soon as possible." She looked down at the ground mournfully.

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He was stunned at her reply. He thanked Kami that she didn't look at his reaction after that little declaration of hers. _You continue to be a puzzle to me, Hyuga._

Still trying to understand how her mind works, what she said next made him speechless for quite a bit.

"I wish to help you find these p-people Sasuke-kun."

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As always, thanks for your reviews!


	13. Chapter 13

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After eating their small share of breakfast which only consisted of what was left of what Hinata brought along with her at the start of their mission, Sasuke had told her that they start traveling north. That was more than 11 hours ago and her stomach gave a loud rumble. They had been traveling nonstop, only stopping for a while to munch on the few leftovers they had that morning in a small clearing they passed. Uchiha Sasuke had been silent all throughout the journey, she noticed. While it wasn't surprising, she couldn't help but wonder what's been running on in his mind. _Is he really this mysterious?_

She glanced at his back as they continued moving, hastening her steps as his form was diminishing by the second. He was ahead of her by a few a meters. Not once had he looked back. Just as she was about to pause to catch on her breath, he stopped and made his way back to her. The sun was starting to set now. _Have we been traveling this long?_

"I believe we're near a town just a few miles from here. Can you check on its specific location?" He asked her, eyes roaming around their surroundings except at her.

Breathing deeply, she answered with a "Hai Sasuke-kun" and activated her kekkei genkai. "A-Ano, I believe it's approximately 3 miles away. I can see a small town just a little west from where we are right now." She pointed her finger at the town's direction.

"Good, let's stay there for the night. Tomorrow morning, we leave immediately." As if contemplating on something, he added, "Let's also make sure we get enough supplies for the remaining days we have to travel." He promptly turned his back and without waiting for her reply, he leaped from the tree, moving towards the direction of the town.

Hinata simply sighed and followed at his retreating back. _I should really get used to his aloof attitude if I want to survive on this journey._

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The moonlight glowed brightly as he walked back to where they are temporarily staying. His eyes were downcast and an air of disappointment hung over his head. Naruto looked up at his teammates, Sakura and Yamato-taichou, as he reached them; the latter just regained his consciousness a few hours ago. It's already the second time that he searched the base for their missing teammate, Hinata and his other wayward former teammate, Sasuke. Sai went with him this time but noticed that he wasn't back yet. He had left a few clones back there still hoping he would see his missing teammates, past and present.

He didn't say anything to them, just a shake of his head to let them know he was unsuccessful with his search. Sakura must have felt just how upset he was as she attempted to give him a cheerful "Hey!" at him. But he could see that Sakura was just as affected as he is yet concealing to everyone just how downtrodden she truly is feeling. Whether it was about Hinata-chan still missing or Sasuke-teme not showing up, or both, he wasn't sure. He knew how much this mission means to her. And he could sympathize with that. They've been looking forward to this mission ever since they learned about Sasuke leaving Konoha. But he felt worse knowing their shy teammate was missing as well.

Breaking the thick silence around them, Yamato weakly coughed before clearing his throat to say something.

"I think we should head back to Konoha tomorrow at dawn." Knowing he was about to be interrupted from the two members of the team, he signaled his hand as if stopping them from voicing out their opinions and continued explaining.

"We don't have the necessary supplies or even the right skills to continue with this mission. I know how you two feel but this is the best we can do. We need to report this turn of events to the Hokage immediately and if we are to look for Hinata-san, we need more backup." He was looking at them with conviction.

Just as he was about to give a retort, Naruto felt Sai's presence approaching them. Whether he's bringing good news or not, he can't tell by looking at his stoic face. _And I thought being a friend to Sasuke-teme would improve my skills in reading people like him._ He gave a mental huff.

Trying to lighten the mood, Yamato briefly smiled at the boy heading to their direction. "What's up, Sai? Any news?"

"Hai Yamato-taichou."

Both his and Sakura's heads abruptly turned towards Sai, eagerly waiting at what he was about to say next. He heard Yamato's command to let Sai continue talking.

"One of the animals was able to spot a room where a fight took place, I'm sure it happened only recently. There were a few bodies lying everywhere, all dead. I reckon they were stabbed with a sword by looking at their deep wounds." Sai seemed to hesitate to continue. Getting anxious looks from around him, he added, "There was also what seems to be the remains of a huge snake. Dead snake skin, in particular. I even brought a few samples, just in case you may want to study it Taichou. But I wasn't able to find out anything about Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuga Hinata. I would think that both of them seem to have left the base," he reported without any emotion.

 _Probably Orochimaru?_ Naruto remembered the snake sannin during their fight at the Chuunin exams and assumed that was him.

"Hold on, what made you think so?" was Yamato-taichou's reply.

"The animals I have drawn couldn't detect any other chakra signatures and they have searched all over the base. They are chakra sensitive so they would be able have found them already had they remained at that base." Done with his report, Sai adjusted his scroll and slung it across his back before giving their team leader an expectant gaze, or what he assumed it was. Naruto really had no clue what his raven-haired teammate's way of thinking. Looking to his left, he was surprised to find Sakura silent and seemed to be deep in thought. He would have thought she would have already reacted by now.

"I see," Yamato rubbed his chin with a thoughtful look. "Well done Sai. I think we should rest now. I'll take the first watch. We'll be heading back to Konoha at the first sign of dawn." Sakura was about to deny him that when he added a small smile, "I've been sleeping for the whole day Sakura-san. You all deserve the rest. I'm sure you're all feeling more tired compared to me." Knowing he was right, everyone started unrolling their sleeping bags and prepared to take their rest.

As Naruto laid on his mat, he replayed the events that took place that day. He wondered where things started to go wrong. Just before closing his eyes, he silently vowed, "Don't worry, Hina-chan. We'll find you."

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Hinata frowned as she stood at the center of the small room. Her eyes scanned around the area, which wasn't much, really, considering she had to share this miniature room with Sasuke-kun. She noticed everything about this dingy room was what could only be described as tiny. There was a single bed at the left corner ( _Could it even fit one person?_ ) a small round table with two stools on the right, a cabinet that barely reached her waist and a small bathroom. _Why_ _did I even agree to be on this predicament?_ Oh yes, she remembered now. It was because of the murderous glare she received from him when she insisted that they rent two rooms instead of one. He refused her request saying they need to save whatever money they have left seeing they still have more days ahead to travel far. But she was adamant on her decision until he activated his Sharingan and gave her the most frightening look so far. The inn's old attendant seemed annoyed at their little display of bickering and simply gave them a single key, refusing to look in her direction.

Speaking of the Uchiha, she could hear the sound of running water behind a door leading to where the bathroom was. Unconsciously, she started rubbing on her forehead as if a headache was about to form. Their day's travel was truly exhausting for her. She doubted the Uchiha feels the same way. Looking down, she shuddered at how filthy she must probably be in right now, with all the grime she got from traveling continuously.

With a tired sigh, she began eating what she bought from a store just before they entered at the inn. She was starving and decided not to wait for Sasuke when he declared that he would take a shower.

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Your reviews are appreciated! Should I add Karin into the mix? I'm not really too fond of her character but I think Team Hebi wouldn't be the same without her. :D


	14. Chapter 14

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Hinata turned to the direction of the bathroom upon hearing the closing of a door. Thankful that he didn't waltzed in baring an inappropriate amount of skin after his shower, she stood up from the stool and went to unpack her belongings. Satisfied with her choice of clothes, she headed towards the bathroom. She observed that Uchiha Sasuke was wearing a high-collared black shirt, with the Uchiha fan at the back and shinobi pants. He was still rubbing his hair with a towel when she passed by him.

Before closing the door, she called to him timidly, "Sasuke-kun, your dinner's on the table. I've already eaten so you don't have to wait for me. U-um, I'll take a bath now." She squeaked the last part before shutting the door, not waiting for his reply. She made sure to lock the bathroom.

Taking off her clothes, she ran the shower and gave a pleasured groan as warm water descended on her and she could feel herself relaxing. She didn't know how long she was in the bathroom but upon opening the bathroom door, she noticed that Sasuke was already sprawled on a futon just next to the bed.

Without looking at her, he told her, "You take the bed Hyuga. The old woman was kind enough to let me borrow an extra futon when I went downstairs." How he managed to do it, she didn't want to ask. _Probably with a genjutsu._ She was sure the attendant wasn't fond of them. She shuddered for a bit but composed herself to utter her thanks.

"Oh, Arigatou Sasuke-kun!" She beamed at him, showing how thankful she was of his actions.

"Hn." His lips managed to curl up a little before returning to its somber expression.

She approached the bed and laid on it, trying to get into a comfortable position. It wasn't as comfortable as she was used to back in the village but it was a pleasant change over the past few days when Naruto-kun asked her to be on a mission with him. _Naruto-kun!_ Her eyes widened imperceptibly as she remembered him. A huge part of the reason why she eagerly accepted the mission was so she could spend time with him, to let him realize that she grew stronger too and maybe he would start acknowledging her. She also wanted to help in taking back their third teammate because she knew it's one of Naruto's greatest wishes, to make Team 7 complete once again. _They must be really worried_ by _now. I must find a way to contact them and let them know I'm safe with Sasuke-kun._ Thinking hard, she groaned in frustration at finding nothing.

Sasuke must have heard her groan as he suddenly sat down and faced her. His bangs hid his dark eyes. "Anything wrong Hyuga?"

"Oh, nothing Sasuke-kun. D-Don't mind me." Curiously, she added, "where are we heading to, tomorrow?"

"At Orochimaru's other base near the Grass village, some miles east from here," he answered. Hinata was about to close her eyes when he spoke again, "how did you learn to become a medic?"

She gawked at him as he uttered a random question. Hiding her surprise, she answered composedly, "Well, I t-trained under Tsunade-sama, along with Sakura-chan." Noticing his curious gaze, she continued, "She was skeptical at first, probably already having an idea that my f-father or any of the elders would not allow me to train in medical ninjutsu." She smiled briefly at the memory. "B-But I was persistent, you see. Never had I wanted something so much before. So Tsunade-sama was left with no c-choice but to agree."

"I can imagine," was his amused reply, as if he could relate to her experience. "We should sleep now, Hyuga. We still have to leave early tomorrow." He then turned his body away from her direction.

"O-okay! Good night Sasuke-kun," was her reply. She turned her back on him and pulled her blanket up to her chin. Feeling exhausted with today's events, she closed her eyes and began drifting off to sleep.

Had she stayed awake just for a little while, she would have heard his silent reply of "Good night, Hyuga."

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She awoke to the sound of the gritting of teeth and the constant shuffle of a blanket. What she heard next made her shiver and made her clutch her blanket tighter around herself as Sasuke called out painfully, "Nii-san, Kaa-san, Otou-san…" He seemed to be struggling to free himself from his blanket. Hinata gasped as she looked down at his trembling form, sweat was now forming around his forehead. _He's having a nightmare!_ Without thinking, she climbed down on her bed and approached him warily.

"W-wake up Sasuke-kun, it's only a nightmare." She hesitated getting closer to him knowing how he loves his personal space. Sasuke continued thrashing so she slowly touched his forehead with her palm and attempted to soothe his hair in a slow, back and forth motion. _This_ _is how I always calm Hanabi-chan whenever she suffers from a nightmare._ Hoping it would work the same way for the Uchiha, she continued with her ministrations.

Sighing, she was about to remove her hand from his head when she noticed that he started to relax. A hand firmly gripped her wrist all of a sudden as he sat up, red irises looking at her intently. Her surprise was completely evident on her face, eyes widened like saucers and mouth slightly gaping, as if she was guilty of being caught in the act of doing something inappropriate. What she didn't expect was losing her balance as he gripped on her wrist with a little pull towards him. Mind still a little hazy from sleep, her kunoichi skills weren't put into action and simply landed ungracefully on top of the object in front of her, that object being Uchiha Sasuke.

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He knew he was having _that nightmare_ once more as he saw his parents lying face down on the floor of their home, blood pooling around them. His brother, Itachi was standing just a meter away from the dead bodies of their parents, dark red eyes boring into his own pair of black ones. He lunged at him, yet as always, he was thrown back haphazardly on the floor. He could feel Itachi picking him up with the front of his shirt and was pinned to the wall.

"Foolish little brother, you aren't strong enough. Killing you would be a waste of time." Itachi's red tomoes changed into something much more sinister and he was shown once again how the entire Uchiha clan was massacred singlehandedly by the person in front of him.

He struggled and managed to grip his brother's wrist only to realize that wrist wasn't his brother's, after all. Mind still clouded from the nightmare, his body didn't react quite as fast and simply let the object fall to him. Something soft, _to which_ _he meant_ _really soft,_ was being squished on his entire face. He could feel his face starting to heat up, head still unmoving, afraid that he would only make the situation worse if he would do so. He noticed he was beginning to suffocate due to the lack of air so his nose involuntarily inhaled sharply.

He could hear the girl give a very surprised squeak, her chin quivering on top of his head and a pair of hands suddenly wrapped around his neck in an attempt to steady her balance. He quickly removed his head away from where it was just a while ago. Already having an idea where his head exactly collided, he visibly shuddered upon finding out that his face was still a mere inch away from her huge breasts. Had he decided to inspect her expression in that moment, he could have seen the state of her face resembling that of his favorite food; a juicy red ripe tomato about to burst. Her body started swaying dangerously as if losing consciousness. He tried keeping her conscious by shaking her slightly.

"Hyuga," he called to her, his voice sounded quite shaky and a little husky. It sounded foreign in his ears.

"Hyuga!" he called to her once more, a little louder this time with a hint of urgency as she still seemed to be struggling with keeping her balance before her body became limp all of a sudden. She landed on top of him once more. _Shit! Did she just pass out on me?_

Later in the day, he would admit to himself that it was probably the most awkward and embarrassing moment of his life.

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The early rays of the sun have slowly crept out of the huge gray clouds. There was a promise of rain just waiting for a certain time to fall on the people below unsuspectingly. The small town was quiet, save for a few vendors heading to the destination of their businesses ready to invite prospective customers into buying their produce. On a small room in the second floor of a dilapidated inn, two individuals could be seen hastily packing away their belongings, backs turned away from each other. The seemingly lack of an exchange of words didn't seem to bother them both. It would be safe to say that they were used to it. Yet anyone entering the room would notice the strange and intense atmosphere. The young man just finished attaching his sword on the right side of his hip, face unreadable of any emotion, his movements swift and sure. On the other side of the room was a young woman still on the process of putting a few more of her things into her bulging backpack. Her eyes inspected each item carefully, a slight blush still evident on her cheeks and her shoulders tensing every now and then.

Both seemed to be aware of each other's presence yet they managed to continue ignoring one another. Finally, the young man turned his back to face the woman on the other side of the room, glanced at her for the first time since that morning and muttered, "We should start moving now," to which then she replied with a shy, "H-Hai, S-Sasuke-kun." Her stutter was quite obvious, head bowed down and eyes glued to the floor, too shy to meet her companion's deep penetrating gaze.

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I know this chapter was quite cliché, but I really can't help it. It was just too good of a situation for me to pass up.


	15. Chapter 15

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Three days of traveling back to Konoha and barely getting any rest during the day have taken its toll on the pink-haired kunoichi. _Ugh, years of being stuck at the hospital most of the time didn't seem to do anything good for my endurance._ While her chakra control could almost rival to that of the legendary sannin and current Hokage, her lack of a team resulting to not getting any missions that required days of traveling hindered her other skills to improve. She struggled to inhale deeply, only managing to take short gulps of air instead.

"Are you alright Sakura-chan?" A boisterous voice spoke from beside her which could only belong to her male teammate clad mostly in orange. There are times, such as today, that she realized being a host to a nine-tailed demon fox has its advantages. He didn't seem like he traveled for days. He was a constant ball of energy, she mused. She was actually grateful for him since yesterday. He was being an extra gentleman who constantly assisted her in most things, her backpack still slung on his back together with his own. She assumed he already sensed her tiredness. _You aren't that oblivious after all, Naruto._

"I'm fine, Naruto. Let's get going now though. We need to reach to Tsunade-shishou as soon as possible. Plus, we should report Hinata-chan's disappearance immediately. I can't really imagine Hiashi-sama's face when he hears this." She faced him with a thoughtful frown. Dealing with the Hyuga clan, especially their elders and the clan head, seems to always give Tsunade-shishou the urge to consume huge amounts of sake.

Ever since Tsunade took Hinata under her wing, the Hyuga elders have been giving her a hard time at supporting her decisions. At first, Hinata's father had been vocal in showing his displeasure at Hinata's training, but seeing her shine at the hospital and the Byakugan being put into good use for healing purposes had he started to accept it. Sakura could see that Hyuga Hiashi was slowly warming up to his daughter. She could even see the pride in his eyes during the few times that she caught Hinata and her father talking. She would admit that there are times that she caught herself feeling a little jealous towards the indigo-haired kunoichi by the amount of attention she gets from a lot of people. First, there were her teammates and sensei. They seemed inseparable. Even after doing missions with other teams a few times and Hinata mostly stuck working at the hospital, their team's bond hadn't grown weaker. She can't help but compare their team to Team 7. The bond they shared was stronger. She often sees them having dinners together and being comfortable around each other. Then there was her father and Neji who may seem strict and uncaring by their outward appearance but she could see it in their eyes the familial love they always have for her. She might belong to a strict and proud clan, but not once had it seem to faze her. Unlike the timid girl she used to be at the academy. Sure she was still shy but there was confidence and strength there that everyone noticed except her. And finally, there was Tsunade-shisou. She felt ecstatic when she heard the news that she would be training under the sannin. Just her. While she was more than happy when she became a part of Team 7, mainly because Sasuke was her teammate, there were a few instances that she felt overlooked by their lazy sensei. So when one day, Tsunade entered the laboratory where she usually held her lectures with the Hyuga heiress in tow, her throat felt a little constricted at the sight, already having an idea that she would be sharing her new sensei with another apprentice.

Her thoughts were cut short upon noticing that Naruto's face had visibly darkened when he heard her. They, meaning her, Yamato-taichou and Sai, decided not to mention Hinata's name in front of him these days as his mood would instantly change, making the atmosphere somber. Sakura frowned.

"You're right," he mumbled quietly and promptly leaped into the next tree.

A few minutes later, she could already see the top part of the majestic wooden gates of Konoha. Feeling a little bit more energized than before, she leaped with a newfound vigor. Failing to bring back Uchiha Sasuke to Konoha with her had deeply affected her. Seeing her home somewhat lightened her aura.

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In front of her was a huge glass of tank filled almost to the brim with water. She was confused what her companion wanted with this thing. As if answering her curiosity, a head slowly materialized and purple eyes were now boring mischievously into her own pale ones.

"Suigetsu," Sasuke called and walked a few paces before stopping. He was now standing in front of her, blocking her view. _So this is the person we're looking for._ She tried looking over his shoulder but the sound of glass breaking caught her unaware. Water started pouring down the floor. Next to her now stood a grinning Suigetsu who seemed to relish on his newfound freedom.

"Heh, you were the last person on my mind who would take the task of setting me free, Sasuke." He was eyeing Sasuke with that same mischievous look when he was looking at her earlier. But the Uchiha simply looked at him with indifference.

"And who's the new chick? Eh, she looks cute. Shy but cute." His grin widened even more as Suigetsu was now looking at her with interest. His eyes continued to rove over her form and seemed to pause a little at her chest. She could feel her cheeks burning despite forcing herself not to do so. She really feels self-conscious every time anyone ogles at her front. This isn't the first time and yet the embarrassment she feels would always remain. Sasuke seemed to have no intention of answering the other boy's inquiry. Instead, he sheathed his Kusanagi and placed it back on the side of his hip. She hesitated for a second but decided to introduce herself to Suigetsu instead. Facing him, she bowed a little.

"A-Ano, my name's Hyuga Hinata. I-It's nice to finally meet you." She cursed at her stutter silently. _I thought I got over this phase already!_ But this new person was different from most of the people she knew. He looked at her with amusement, as if there's something about her that he finds funny.

"I was right, you are shy!" Suigetsu pointed his finger at her and gave her an amused laugh before Sasuke cut him off.

"Enough Suigetsu. We've traveled for days looking for you so stop your pestering. We still need to find your weapon, isn't it?" Sasuke eyed his form, noting his lack of sword at his back.

"Aw, don't be so mean Sasuke. I've been trapped by Orochimaru in this stupid aquarium for months and hadn't talked with anyone else until now. What happened to him, by the way?" He looked at the Uchiha curiously, but his smile hasn't left his face.

"He's dead," was his monotone reply. Hinata inhaled sharply at this.

Sasuke must have heard her as he finally looked at her and studied her profile. After that _incident_ at the inn, they traveled with more silence for days. It was even worse than before. The awkward atmosphere between them was palpable and she knew he felt it too. He only talked to her whenever necessary and seemed to avoid her gaze every time she faced him. Not knowing what to do, she let him be. Sometimes, his silent demeanor reminds him a little bit of Shino-kun but it ends there. He's just so… different from the usual people she interacts with. Without anyone to converse with over the course of the last few days, thoughts about her latest mission kept popping up in her head. _They are probably so worried by now. I wonder how otou-san and Neji-niisan would react to my disappearance._ She frowned.

During the nights, she would sleep alone in her sleeping bag, feeling a little more comfortable than their first night they traveled together. She offered to share her mat, of course, _manners are still important after all and Minami-san would frown at my lack of hospitality if she would find out if I hadn't done so._ She remembered the strict Hyuga elder who was assigned to teach her etiquette befitted of a future clan head. But she was silently grateful that he refused. She had no idea where he slept but never had she voiced out her curiosity.

"How?" Suigetsu's voice broke her train of thoughts. She was also curious what happened to the snake sannin. During their travel, she had already assumed that he had a hand at defeating Orochimaru but didn't care to wonder how Sasuke had done so.

"I killed him." Sasuke didn't care to elaborate on his answer but Suigetsu seemed satisfied with it since he only gave a brief uninterested shrug upon hearing the reply. Already bored with their current topic, Suigetsu looked at her once more.

"You've been pretty quiet Hinata-chan. What are you thinking?" That same grin every time he looked at her was plastered to his face once again.

Conscious at the two pairs of eyes now looking at her, Hinata bit her lower lip, pondering on what to answer to his inquiry. Suigetsu probably felt a bit impatient waiting for her answer so he continued.

"Come now, Hinata-chan. You don't have to be shy around us. I don't bite, you know. But I'm not too sure about this guy though, heh." His tone was teasing while a thumb was pointing at Sasuke. He might not have done it on purpose but she noticed he was baring his sharp teeth a little more when he glanced at her way.

"Oh…" was all she managed to say. She was about to add some more when Sasuke interrupted her.

"Don't bother her anymore Suigetsu. If you want to have your sword back, we should hurry. Hinata, check if there is another shorter way to exit from this base." He told her. She noticed he wasn't using her surname anymore. _What_ _happened with calling me Hyuga all the time? Oh.. He must have probably found out about my name just now._ She frowned once more, not particularly happy with the new information. It irked her knowing they've been traveling for days and not once had he inquired for her name. Her Hyuga pride was wounded, she admitted to herself. _I healed him and showed him with kindness despite being reminded a few times that he really doesn't deserve it…_ Her mind continued ranting. _It's common courtesy to ask for someone's name. That's the least he could have done._ She breathed deeply to remain calm. _But he's probably just this way to everyone else and this is his only way of being himself while still around me._ She tried to reason with herself, trying to defend the Uchiha's actions mainly because she pitied him. His past was bloody and full of pain.

Finally, feeling a little calm, she activated her Byakugan to comply with his request. More like demand actually, if she was being truthful. She simply wants to see the best in people but sometimes this guy just proves that it isn't so easy after all. _Be calm, Hinata!_ She chanted in her head.

She walked on ahead of them without uttering a word. With her Byakugan guiding the right path, she turned to the left and walked confidently towards the exit of the base, not bothering to wait and see whether her temporary teammates would follow her or not.

"I wonder what's bothering Hinata-chan." Suigetsu said to one in particular. His fingers touching his temple as he contemplated about the pretty, albeit a little shy kunoichi. "Hey, wait up!" He added as he noticed he was the only one left in the room.


	16. Chapter 16

...

It had been four days since they arrived in Konoha. He can't say that he's happy with the reaction they got from the people who heard about the outcome of their mission, especially the members of Team 8 and Hyuga Neji. He could still clearly remember the commotion that erupted as they heard the news that Hinata didn't return with them. Inuzuka Kiba bared his fangs particularly at his direction and started spouting threats, cursing here and there. At that moment, he was reminded about Kiba being a loudmouth too. Akamaru whined, whether at being embarrassed by his master's display of his lack of manners or at not seeing Hinata in the room, he didn't know. While Hinata's other teammate, Aburame Shino remained silent, the killing intent he was oozing was quite clear on the people around them. He was thankful for Team 8's sensei who tried to calm the two boys but he couldn't help but gulp at the glare she directed at him and at Yamato-taichou just before they left the room. It all happened inside the Hokage's room when Tsunade-baachan invited Team 8 to let them hear about the disappearance of their teammate. Yamato-taichou was in the middle of telling his report in front of Tsunade when the door opened and in came the remaining members of Team Kurenai. The three weren't looking at them with friendly stares.

Kiba demanded straight away about Hinata's welfare, not really caring if he was talking loudly in front of Konohagakure's leader. Yamato hesitated, already aware that they may not be happy with what he will say next. Tsunade demanded that he continue though so as not to waste her time. Inhaling deeply, he continued with his report, eyeing the members of Team 8 warily every now and then. And that's when the commotion began.

Naruto sighed for the third time. Thinking they were done dealing with Team 8 and their obvious displeasure, the door opened once more and in came Hyuga Neji, an angry scowl apparent on his face. He strode towards the center of the room with silent and confident steps. He was still wearing his ANBU uniform, his mask attached at his hip. He may look composed but everyone knew that he was extremely pissed. After giving a respectful bow to the Hokage, he turned his direction at Naruto.

 _But seriously, why does it seem like they all particularly blame me? It's not like I'm the only one on this mission with Hinata-chan – dattebayo!_ Naruto furrowed his brows remembering why they were all feeling extra irritated at him. _Did I miss anything? Ahhh, probably because I was the one to drag Hinata-chan along with us._ Contented with the reason that came to his mind, he scratched his whiskers and closed his eyes as if in deep thought and continued reminiscing.

After hearing the report, Neji curtly thanked the Hokage for inviting him in. He turned his back and walked towards the door but before opening it, he added gravely, "I will be relating this news to Hiashi-sama once I arrive at the Hyuga compound. By your leave, Hokage-sama." After hearing his parting words, each member of Team Yamato silently gulped.

Naruto started pulling on his hair, still feeling annoyed and depressed at the outcome of the mission and at the reactions they received from a number of people. The Hyuga clan was displeased, of course. Their future clan head was currently missing. Tsunade drunkenly told him and the rest of Team Yamato later that day that Hyuga Hiashi himself stormed to the Hokage tower, demanding answers and stating his obvious displeasure at the woman sitting in front of him.

Earlier today, he received a summon that he was expected to report to the Hokage tower at two in the afternoon. He was now slowly trudging the stairs heading to the third floor where Tsunade-baachan is located.

"You too, Naruto?" a lazy drawl could be heard from behind him. He didn't need to turn to know who that voice belonged to. There's no one in Konoha that could rival the laziness of his voice other than his father perhaps. Even after three years, Nara Shikamaru's lazy demeanor didn't change. In fact, it just became worse.

"Eh? What do you mean Shikamaru? Baachan just told me to come here for a meeting at two o' clock," he replied with a confused look.

Nara Shikamaru slouched some more and sighed. "Troublesome."

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A vein was now seriously threatening to pop on the side of his forehead. Suigetsu was talking loudly with the Hyuga heiress. They were walking side by side while he is ahead of them by a few steps. It's been more than an hour and it seems the white-haired nin isn't planning on closing his mouth anytime soon. He noted that they got along fairly well with each other rather quickly. They were now laughing, he observed with a grimace, Suigetsu with his loud guffaws and Hinata with her shy ones. _Probably at his corny jokes._ He grumbled silently.

He just discovered that his newest addition to the team has the tendency to crack jokes once in a while. Not once was he amused by it though. But the Hyuga doesn't seem to share the same sentiments with him. He could tell she was enjoying listening to his tale about a famed Kirigakure hero and some random female chuunin and their unfortunate adventures leading them falling in love in the process by the way she's laughing with him. Her eyes seemed to alight every time she laughs. Not that he's been pausing once in a while to take a look at her. No, he's only checking to make sure they didn't leave the team and decide to abandon this mission.

"Just as they were about to share their first kiss, a dozen shuriken came flying at their direction. Keito didn't hesitate to shield Maka and promptly pushed them both on the ground…" Suigetsu's voice truly grated on his nerves now.

"Ah, that was so valiant of him, Suigetsu-san." Hinata put in her opinion, there was a faraway tone in her voice. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He had certainly no idea why he was unconsciously following this stupid tale about the two Kiri nins. As if he isn't annoying enough, Suigetsu tried flirting with their female companion a few times. Tried, being the keyword since the Hyuga isn't even aware of what the Hozuki was doing. Unconsciously, he smirked at the thought. The sound of loud laughter and an amused chuckle broke his thoughts. He gritted his teeth.

Sasuke was already having second thoughts whether he made the right choice of choosing him to be on this mission. He doesn't appear to be taking this mission seriously. _He probably thinks he's on a vacation._ He stopped walking and turned his head to look at them. Both of them stopped laughing. Hinata looking at him curiously while Suigetsu continued grinning. He must already have an idea why he stopped and looked on ahead with glee.

"We're almost at the bridge. Hide your chakra signatures as best as you can while we navigate our way there," he instructed to them both. Then added, "Hinata, check how many shinobi are on patrol."

Her demeanor turned serious. Veins becoming visible near her eyes, she looked towards the bridge to scan the whole area. Glad that he has at least one teammate who knows how to handle the situation quite well without irritating him, he continued moving forward. He quickened his steps and managed to hide his chakra signature perfectly before Hinata answered him.

"I see four signatures Sasuke-kun. T-They are guarding its entrance. Another four signatures are at the other end of the bridge." She continued scanning while she was talking to him.

"Hn," he nodded and seemingly satisfied with her reply, he urged them to move forward.

"We can enter the bridge with a genjutsu but be prepared for a confrontation when we manage to get to the other end."

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Tsunade was looking at the paper she was currently holding though still aware at the presence of six young shinobi in front of her. She was reminded to a time when she gathered the same individuals, except for the Aburame heir, exactly three years ago with the intention of returning back Konoha's last Uchiha. _I'm having a déjà vu._ Their mission she was assigning at them today was still quite the same but with a different person in mind this time. She would assign them with a mission to know Hyuga Hinata's current whereabouts and return her safely in Konoha. She was really hoping that this same group would be successful at last.

The whole Hyuga clan wasn't particularly happy with her these past few days. Their continued insistence to conduct a search-and-rescue operation as soon as possible for their future clan head finally made her snap. She was actually so tired of having to face any member of the Hyuga clan, especially the Hyuga elders and their clan head. _Seriously, don't they have other more important things to do aside from harassing me? I think I've already seen too many paled-eyed, stick-in-the-ass Hyugas to last me a lifetime._ She thought with sarcasm.

It's not like she doesn't care about Hinata's well-being. She really does, without a doubt, since she was her student after all. She taught her all the medical ninjutsus she knew for the past two years. The girl was a fast learner and was even surprised when she incorporated the Byakugan to her method of healing quite effectively. It was something she hadn't really considered before. She was proud of all the accomplishments she achieved at the hospital while she was under her tutelage. Both her and Sakura are probably the two most capable medic nins in Konoha at the moment. But the lack of capable shinobi during this time halted her from assigning this mission at once. With the news about Akatsuki freely roaming all over the Shinobi world, she was hesitant in sending too many nins outside the village at once. There are already quite a number of Konoha nins these days who are being sent out to dangerous missions. As Hokage, it's her responsibility to protect the village. So it's only natural that a number of shinobi and kunoichi stay inside the village to keep the peace.

Finally, she looked up at the six teenage shinobi in front of her. All were looking at her with that same fire in their eyes. _Just like three years ago._ _Boy do they grow up so fast._

 _"_ Now, about this mission… _"_

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Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	17. Chapter 17

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They were now sitting together at the most secluded part of a small restaurant. There were only a few customers at the moment, seated a few tables away from theirs. The three of them had changed into civilian clothes to blend with the villagers roaming around the streets. It had been her idea so they could sneak into Kirigakure without being suspected of doing something that would alert the majority of its people. Unlike the civilians in Konoha, the villagers here aren't as welcoming and trusting to the shinobi populace in general.

They managed to enter through the bridge but Sasuke was right with his earlier assumptions. The first four shinobi on patrol were easily subdued with a weak genjutsu. However, the four-man cell at the other end noticed their unfamiliar presence as they were approaching. Hence, a short fight ensued. Sasuke was dealing with the two members of the team. While both she and Suigetsu were engaged with the remaining two. They hid their unconscious bodies hoping it would take some time before they are being discovered by their comrades, giving them enough time to acquire Zabuza's sword, the Kubikiribōchō.

Sasuke seemed to know where it was as he led them to an isolated part of a forest where the once member of the Seven Swordsmen was buried. Hinata was alarmed that the item they actually have to obtain was being buried alongside its owner. She felt it was a form of disrespect but both boys seemed unfazed by it. As they were about to depart, she kneeled on the ground where the remains of Zabuza laid and said a quick prayer. Sasuke waited for her to finish and once she stood up and approach him, he was looking at her with curiosity. They walked together silently, Suigetsu having already left saying he was too excited to finally make use of it soon. She could have sworn that the former Kiri nin never felt that exhilarated before since the first time they met.

There's just something about Suigetsu that reminds her a bit of Naruto-kun. _Probably his cheerful disposition and his open friendliness._ Perhaps it's why she easily warmed up to him. He amused her with his tales and jokes as they traveled. It was like a breath of fresh air as she was used to traveling with Sasuke in silence. But where Naruto-kun is kind towards anyone he meets unless there's a reason not to do so, Suigetsu seems to disregard other people's feelings. _That's where he and Sasuke-kun share that particular trait._ With a slight furrowing of her brows, she also noted that he doesn't seem to care about invading anyone else's personal space. The one thing she shared a trait with Sasuke.

"Hey, earth to Hina-hime." A hand was waving in front of face. Ever since he found out that she was the Hyuga clan's heiress, Suigetsu has been calling that name quite frequently. Speaking of, his face was looking at her with amusement while he continued waving his hand to get her attention. He sat across from her while Sasuke was sitting beside her, holding a cup of tea in his hands.

"G-Gomen, Suigetsu-san. I was just thinking." She smiled awkwardly. Her hand reached for her own cup and took a sip of her chamomile tea. She looked down at her own reflection in the steaming cup and noticed her bangs growing slightly longer than what she's used to.

"You think too much Hime. Isn't that right Sasuke?" Suigetsu turned to the other boy's direction.

"Hai," he gave the briefest nod. Hinata was quite surprised at him for using another form of reply instead of his customary "Hn". _He probably agrees completely with Suigetsu-san's observation. I should really stop thinking too much._

Sitting straighter, Hinata replied, "Ano, I was only thinking about what happened at the bridge. Ne, S-Sasuke-kun, I remembered Sakura-chan telling me your first mission outside the village was to protect a bridge builder from Kiri. I noticed the bridge's name has Naruto-kun's surname." She hesitated to continue as Sasuke turned his full attention to her, his dark eyes locking into her own. "Um, was it…"

"It was named after the dobe," he cut her off. His eyes still glued at her face.

"R-Really! That's great," She beamed up at him, eyes alight with wonderment. Her face had that faraway look while unable to stop smiling. _I knew it! I'm so proud of you Naruto-kun._ She was truly happy with Sasuke's confirmation. She chanced upon reading the bridge's name as they were passing it. She knew it wasn't a coincidence when she remembered Sakura-chan telling her about that particular mission. Mind still too busy daydreaming about Naruto, she didn't notice Sasuke's expression turning dark.

"Heh, do you have a crush on this Naruto person Hina-hime? I'm feeling a little jealous." Suigetsu attempted to pout at her but the mischievous look he gave her betrayed his feelings. He was teasing her. Face starting to heat up, she looked down and busied her hands with her cup. The Hozuki laughed and continued teasing her about Naruto-kun.

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"I think we have stayed too long." Sasuke abruptly stood up surprising the laughing Suigetsu and the blushing Hyuga. He suddenly felt irritated at the two and the constant mention of the dobe's name made it worse. He didn't know what came over him but the thought of shoving Chidori into the dobe's chest seemed tempting. Both looked up at him but seeing Hinata's expression made his stomach flip, her pale eyes were aglow, cheeks rosy and lips slightly parted, as if in surprise. He suddenly turned his eyes away from her and decided to look at his other teammate instead, attempting to brush away his thoughts about the Hyuga.

"Let's stay here for a while Sasuke. You haven't even finished your tea yet. Besides, we were having fun, right Hime?" Suigetsu repeatedly calling the Hyuga that name seemed to grate on his nerves. He was already feeling particularly irate at the moment but that seemed to cement his urge to snap.

Both of them appeared to be oblivious with the storm he was about to unleash if another useless comment is uttered. So he breathed deeply to remain calm.

"They might have already found out about the unconscious guards and that would alert them of intruders." He looked at them seriously. Then added, "It's best to leave now to avoid any more encounters."

Hinata must have sensed how serious he was as she stood up as well and voiced her agreement to him. Suigetsu sighed and gulped the remaining tea before lazily standing up as well.

"Fine, fine. Geez, I don't know what crawled up your ass and died there."

He glared murderously at the white-haired nin.

"Lighten up Sasuke," Suigetsu told him while laughing weakly, an attempt to ease the tension between them. He probably already knew just how dangerous he is. He smirked at this knowledge, turned his back from the other boy and headed his way towards Hinata. She was already at the door having walked ahead after agreeing to his decision.

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Naruto hastily packed everything he needed for this mission while looking up at his alarm clock every minute or so. Three hours ago, Tsunade-baachan assigned them a mission to search for the missing Hyuga heiress. Naruto had never felt happier in days since his return from their recently failed mission. He recalled Sai telling them of his personal observations that Hinata-chan and Sasuke-teme might have left Orochimaru's base together. Tsunade-baachan kept that particular information from the others though as she wasn't sure of its validity. _But I really have this strong feeling that they are traveling together._ _If we're successful at getting to Hinata-chan then we could possibly bring back Sasuke as well._ Hope rising in his chest, he hastened his packing, ramen cups taking up the most space in his backpack. _I won't go back on my promise, Sakura-chan. I'll bring the teme back – dattebayo!_

He knew Sakura wanted to join them on this mission but baachan prohibited her from doing so since she's needed at the hospital. The lack of skilled medic nins became more apparent when Hinata went missing. She understood baachan's reasons but Naruto saw that she wasn't really happy with the decision. To cheer her up, he promised that he would do everything to make sure Sasuke-teme returns to them, along with Hinata-chan. She gave him a real smile at that and he couldn't help the loud beating in his heart. Finally, he hauled his backpack and marched to his door.

Trudging towards the gates of Konoha, a familiar figure walked beside him. Naruto looked up to find his lazy sensei's face buried in his Icha Icha Paradise book.

"Hey sensei, what are you doing here?" he asked him while giving that familiar furrowing of his brows and eyes closed resembling that of a fox.

"Maa Naruto. Can't a sensei wish his student good luck on his mission?" was his lazy drawl, eyes still not looking up from his perverted book.

Before he could reply, another voice spoke in front of him. It sounded impatient and slightly angry.

"What took you so long, Naruto? We've been here for a while now. Don't tell me you're picking up your sensei's habit." Kiba bared his fangs a little. His other teammates for this mission were eyeing him with same impatience as well, a few were glancing at him and his sensei with a look of curiosity.

Both student and sensei looked sheepish and had the gall to be embarrassed about the boy's accusation.

"Well, I'll leave you to your team now, Naruto. Good luck on your mission," Kakashi finally glanced down at his blonde student while patting him on his head. He gave him his customary eye smile before he promptly vanished.

"Thanks Kaka-sensei!" he shouted, not really caring whether said sensei heard him or not. "Yatta, let's go guys! Hina-chan's waiting for us!" Naruto exited the huge gates and leaped to the nearest tree, his figure diminishing by the second by those who are still standing by the gates.

"This is more troublesome than I thought." Shikamaru gave a tired sigh and looked up at the clouds above. Not for the first time had he thought whether he made the right decision about his career choice as a ninja. He lazily stared at his remaining teammates and nodded at them, signaling that they start following Naruto.

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Hinata stepped inside a poorly-lit hall, Byakugan still activated as she scanned the area for any sign of attackers. Seeing none, she motioned for her companions to step inside. "No one's around. I found a few prisoners but o-other than that, no one seems to be a threat."

"Aw, that's a shame. I was kind of looking forward to a fight," Suigetsu gave a disappointed look as he stepped beside Hinata.

"There will be a lot of that in the coming weeks Suigetsu," Sasuke was now walking ahead of them. It looks like he's quite familiar with the route so the two let him lead the way. A few more minutes of walking through a dim passageway before they heard a girl's loud shrill of, "Sasuke-kunnnnn!"

Hinata was deeply reminded of the Uchiha's fan girls back when they were still at the academy. _I wonder who she is._ Loud footsteps could be heard before it finally stopped. As they approached one of the torches attached to a wall, she could see a young female standing in front of them. Her hair was a bright shade of red, one side looked straight while the other was jagged. She was wearing eyeglasses and she has that expression of someone whose dreams finally came true, eyes seemingly star struck at the vision in front of her, which is none other the Uchiha Sasuke. _I hope I don't look that way when I'm in front Naruto-kun._ She thought about her few encounters with him and remembered his blunt way of telling her she was a little weird. She gulped. _No wonder he said that!_

 _"_ Karin, _"_ Sasuke nodded at her. "I need your help searching for my brother, will you come with us?" He shut his eyes for a second before looking at her seriously, waiting for her reply.

"Of course, Sasuke-kun. I will do everything I can so I can be of service to you." Her voice was now bordering on reverence. Eyes alight with wonder as if she couldn't believe what she just heard from him.

"Oi, won't you introduce us to her Sasuke?" Suigetsu was giving the new female a rather curious look.

"Hn. The girl on my right is Hyuga Hinata and the other is Hozuki Suigetsu. They are your teammates now. And that's Karin," Sasuke briefly introduced one another, his tone a little bored.

"Yo!" was Suigetsu's reply and gave the red-haired girl a wink. Karin scoffed at this.

"H-Hello," Hinata bowed a little and smiled at her. She was surprised to find another female for a teammate. She was feeling a little elated at this until she saw the other girl's reaction to her.

"Nani! Sasuke-kunnn, why is she here? In fact, why are those two with you? I'm more than enough to help you." She scowled at Sasuke's two companions but promptly gave a shy smile as she approached the raven-haired shinobi, her arm instantly intertwining with his own. Sasuke doesn't seem to mind though. It seems like his mind is somewhere else. Hinata couldn't help the frown in her face at the display in front of her.

"Hey!" Suigetsu loudly interrupted, glaring at her. "Watch your words you little she-devil. You look like you can't even survive in a fight."

To which Karin promptly shouted an angry, "WHAT!" The Hozuki barked a laugh at her reaction.

Hinata was a little amused at their antics. The three appear to be oblivious of Sasuke's mood growing darker though, a vein about to pop in his forehead.

"Enough of this," he told the two menacingly, the atmosphere suddenly becoming silent. He added, "You will all have to learn to cooperate with each other." He removed his arm from Karin and walked towards Hinata's direction. "Let's not waste our time here, we still need to find Juugo." Walking a little closely beside her, he looked down at the heiress, seemingly amused at her growing blush on her cheeks.

Feeling a little conscious at how close he is to her at the moment, she consciously rubbed her arm else she might start twiddling with her fingers like she used to. She noticed he's been doing this a lot the past few days after their stopover at Kirigakure. Unlike the days before when she and Suigetsu walked side by side to each other, it was now Sasuke who's mostly traveling beside her. Deciding now isn't really the time to ponder about her reaction every time he's near her, she trudged along the passageway silently all too aware of Sasuke's presence just mere inches away from her. His arm would brush her shoulder once in a while but he didn't appear to be affected by the contact.

Both are unaware at the stares boring into their backs. Suigetsu was looking at the two with utmost curiosity while Karin scowled with intensity, not liking one bit the closeness shared between the two.

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